HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — A former Burdette Park manager and his wife were arrested earlier this week and accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the park.
Near the end of 2021, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office says deputies started investigating missing funds at Burdette Park after a discrepancy was found during year-end accounting.
According to deputies, the amount of money deposited and the amount of money that should have been collected did not match. The sheriff’s office says that payments made in cash specifically were missing.
Detectives believe Scott A. Thompson and his wife Catherine are responsible for the missing money. Deputies say Scott was employed at Burdette Park as the campground manager and both he and his wife lived on the property at the campground.
A press release from the sheriff’s office states that Catherine took an active role in campground management, including handling the intake and deposit of rental fees.
Investigators revealed that a look into Burdette Park’s records and receipt books showed an initial estimate of over $17,000 in missing money. According to deputies, all of the missing money was cash collected by the Thompsons for campground rentals.
After the Indiana State Board of Accounts got involved, it was found that only $965 of $21,941.97 collected in cash payments had been deposited, leaving over $20,000 unaccounted for. We’re told the State Board of Accounts further found that more than $22,000 in additional funds should have been collected.
Both Scott and Catherine Thompson were arrested on warrants and booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail. The married couple both face a charge of Level 6 Felony Theft and have since bonded out of the jail on $500 bond.
