Cops: Stolen funds spent on travel, bills

The now-fired office manager for a Long Island nonprofit who is accused of bilking the group out of more than $130,000 used at least some of the money for Caribbean travel, an iPad, a television and to pay her dogs' vet bills, authorities said Wednesday.

Merline B. Campbell, 45, of Baldwin is accused of making personal charges on credit cards belonging to the Bethpage-based nonprofit, Sustainable Long Island, authorities said. According to court papers, she paid the credit card bills out of the group's bank account.

Judge David W. McAndrews ordered Campbell jailed on $20,000 bond or $10,000 cash bail at her arraignment Wednesday at First District Court in Hempstead. She was charged with several felonies, including grand larceny, identify theft and scheme to defraud, according to court papers.

According to Campbell's confession, contained in court records, she told investigators her use of the nonprofit's funds went back at least two years.

"I started having some financial difficulties," Campbell said in the confession. "And I wasn't being paid enough."

Campbell's scheme was uncovered last month as the nonprofit prepared for a routine audit and it was later discovered that money had been "inappropriately allocated," said Nassau Police Det. Sgt. Dennis Ude.

Ude said most of the money has not been recovered.

Sustainable Long Island describes itself as a group that fights suburban sprawl and promotes community planning.

Campbell started at the nonprofit in October 2006, according to her confession. She was fired soon after the fraud was discovered, said the nonprofit's executive director, Sarah Lansdale.

She said the amount Campbell is accused of misusing represents more than 10 percent of the nonprofit's roughly $1 million budget.