Stealing money from a student organization

[Medico o Muerte]

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[doc05]

Yes, it's a problem. Find a lawyer.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

To be perfectly honest. You cannot commingle funds. Regardless of whether you paid it back or not, an organization's fund is not your personal piggy bank. You are legit in trouble and criminal charges are a possibility. I suggest you start looking and interviewing a lawyer and get one on retainer...

Edit: And I am very sorry to say, if you are thinking about medical school, it is likely no longer an option, at least for the foreseeable future.

 

[FroYoOreo]

oh boy....

 

[deleted804295]

This doesn't fly at my Uni... all of our organizations have a treasurer that closely monitors the card. Although I wouldn't see it as a problem if it were snacks that you shared with organization members, if you used it on your own personal expenses the situation might be a bit worse.

What exactly were you purchasing? If it happened to be things appropriate for the organization then you wouldn't have to worry too much.

 

[Medico o Muerte]

This doesn't fly at my Uni... all of our organizations have a treasurer that closely monitors the card. Although I wouldn't see it as a problem if it were snacks that you shared with organization members, if you used it on your own personal expenses the situation might be a bit worse.

What exactly were you purchasing? If it happened to be things appropriate for the organization then you wouldn't have to worry too much.

Mostly, it was groceries. But I had no intention of stealing and deposited the amount I purchased back into the organization's account immediately.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

This doesn't fly at my Uni... all of our organizations have a treasurer that closely monitors the card. Although I wouldn't see it as a problem if it were snacks that you shared with organization members, if you used it on your own personal expenses the situation might be a bit worse.

What exactly were you purchasing? If it happened to be things appropriate for the organization then you wouldn't have to worry too much.

Lets just say that before OP wisely deleted the post, personal items not related to organization functions were bought...

 

[stayathomemom]

Let this be a lesson to everyone, everywhere: if you have to ask or wonder whether or not something is ethically or legally "okay" to do, it probably fails on one or both accounts. Stay on the safe side and keep your integrity.

 

[Isoval]

Read the post before OP blanked. Somebody likely (wisely) advised them to do so for legal reasons and I won’t reiterate, but...

It’s explicitly taught in business law (and likely other types of law) that this is bad. Do not ever blur the line between an organization that is its own separate entity and yourself because you forfeit any and all protections afforded to you by doing so. I would advise you to start speaking with a lawyer if this develops any further and stop posting about the situation here.

As far as medical school is concerned, I think you’re dead-on-arrival if this turns into an IA or a formal criminal/civil charge.

 

[deleted804295]

To be perfectly honest. You cannot commingle funds. Regardless of whether you paid it back or not, an organization's fund is not your personal piggy bank. You are legit in trouble and criminal charges are a possibility. I suggest you start looking and interviewing a lawyer and get one on retainer...

Edit: And I am very sorry to say, if you are thinking about medical school, it is likely no longer an option, at least for the foreseeable future.

We don't know what his University's process will be. Some will waive it off when they look at the audit because he did pay things back before an admin came up to him but other university's will come down hard with the law.

But you are right that medicine is likely no longer an option for medica o muerte. Unfortunately the path will be muerte. (But not literally, I hope your name is a joke OP).

 

[SpoiledMilk]

Some will waive it off when they look at the audit because he did pay things back before an admin came up to him

Regardless of whether OP paid the funds back, OP was entrusted with the organization's funds as an officer, and to use it for personal purposes is a violation of that duty that OP had to the organization, the students of the organization, the faculty sponsor, and the school. No university head will over look this violation just because OP paid the funds back. OP should not have used the funds in the first place for non-organization purposes.

 

[atomi]

Look up embezzlement laws in your state to see if you are dealing with a misdemeanor or felony. Presumably these were public funds. Stealing from taxpayers is an especially bad no-no.

 

[atomi]

Mostly, it was groceries. But I had no intention of stealing and deposited the amount I purchased back into the organization's account immediately.

LOL wut? Then why did you steal? Furthermore, if you actually had the cash to pay it back "immediately," why'd you take it in the first place? Come on, be honest first.

 

[wysdoc]

Regardless of whether OP paid the funds back, OP was entrusted with the organization's funds as an officer, and to use it for personal purposes is a violation of that duty that OP had to the organization, the students of the organization, the faculty sponsor, and the school. No university head will over look this violation just because OP paid the funds back. OP should not have used the funds in the first place for non-organization purposes.

I know an elementary school vice principal who was fired for a similar offense, using the PTA credit card to pay for lunch and then paying them back.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

I know an elementary school vice principal who was fired for a similar offense, using the PTA credit card to pay for lunch and then paying them back.

Absolutely. The faculty sponsor would also be in trouble if they don't follow up and report this to their bosses since they were the one to notice the charges and confronted OP.

 

[Richanesthesiologist]

How much money did you "embezzle". If its an inconsequential amount, I doubt the school will be pursuing criminal charges against you for that amount, especially since you paid the money "immediately". It is simply not worth the effort of the school's resources. You deserved to be stripped of your role though. At my school, cases involving embezzlement are often in the thousands of dollars and take place over many years. (You'll probably graduate by the time the audit finds out). Moreover, I think "paying back the money" prior to being confronted really shows you didn't intend to steal. In criminal cases, intention is pretty important, even though the ethicalness of this behavior is questionable. Learn from this mistake and don't do it again. I didn't even know this was "not allowed"

 

[Goro]

If any of this ever appears as an IA, the OP's medical career is over.

 

[Robin-jay]

You should have bought a fur coat. Or just shoplift it.

But seriously OP, mistakes happen. Dunno why you thought stealing money would be the thing to do though.

 

[atomi]

You should have bought a fur coat. Or just shoplift it.

But seriously OP, mistakes happen. Dunno why you thought stealing money would be the thing to do though.

$100 says he needed some cash for weed, debit card was declined at atm due to bank account maxed out, no time for mom to deposit more cash, so used the organization's debit card in a pinch.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

If any of this ever appears as an IA, the OP's medical career is over.

Is he truly DOA, or could his career be brought back from the dead with ten years as a truly outstanding citizen - say, military service, or else founding a successful nonprofit or something like that?

 

[Goro]

Is he truly DOA, or could his career be brought back from the dead with ten years as a truly outstanding citizen - say, military service, or else founding a successful nonprofit or something like that?

Military service I can go for. Tens years post incident, also I can go for.

But right now? two-fours years later? No. We have oceans of candidates who don't do **** like this.
Like it or not, not everybody can go to med school.