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Former PTA treasurer pleads guilty to taking $45K from Eisenhower Middle School PTA
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A former Eisenhower Middle School Parent Teacher Association treasurer pleaded guilty to stealing more than $45,000 from the organization to pay bills and make personal purchases.
Nicole Piatt of Albuquerque pleaded guilty last week to a federal charge of wire fraud. Piatt, who was treasurer from 2018 to 2020, used her access to the association’s accounts and cash to make personal purchases and payments to Geico Insurance, Verizon Wireless and Capital One, according to charging documents filed in U.S. District Court.
In her plea agreement, she said she also deposited PTA money directly into her personal bank account without the knowledge or permission of other members. According to federal court records, she said the PTA’s U.S. Bank account balance was thousands of dollars higher than it actually was.
Piatt hasn’t been sentenced yet. However, according to court documents, she could be facing a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a maximum fine of either double the money she gained or $250,000.
Piatt’s attorney did not respond to messages left by the Journal. The current Eisenhower PTA president could not be reached.
In 2017, Piatt was charged with six counts of forgery and 18 counts of controlled substance act violations.
The criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court alleged Piatt had forged prescriptions for painkillers using the name of a physician assistant who previously prescribed her opiates.
That case was dismissed months later after prosecutors failed to meet court deadlines.
