CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A former treasurer of a Wyoming nonprofit organization is facing allegations of embezzling nearly $190,000 to fund a gambling habit, legal fees and personal expenses.
Amanda Marie Schaefer, born May 1981, is charged with felony theft. She is presumed innocent until she pleads or is found guilty.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, Schaefer is accused of stealing $188,201.05 from the Wyoming Land Title Association. Schaefer assumed the treasurer role for the organization in the summer 2023 and was the only person authorized to conduct financial transactions on its bank accounts.
In February, the organization’s president discovered the fraud after asking for a financial audit to get a reimbursement for a conference. When Schaefer didn’t provide bank statements, the president reached out to the bank and accessed the account through a past official who was still on the account. A review of the financial statements showed many unauthorized charges, according to the affidavit.
The court document details a pattern of extensive gambling by the defendant. Subpoenaed player records from multiple local gaming businesses showed Schaefer logged hundreds of thousands of dollars in deposits during the time she served as treasurer.
Cheyenne Police Department investigators also traced the nonprofit’s funds to a $2,500 payment made to a local law firm representing Schaefer in a domestic relations case, a $900 payment to a counseling service, and a $545 payment toward an auto loan for her personal vehicle. Detectives said they found dozens of unauthorized transactions linked to online retail purchases and local shopping trips.
An WLTA official told investigators that Schaefer often shared financial figures in meetings but kept avoiding requests for actual financial records. When asked about the missing statements before the discrepancies were discovered, Schaefer reportedly cried, said she was at risk of eviction and took a leave of absence from her job.
