Former Lions Eye Bank exec pleads not guilty to theft

UPDATE @10:35 a.m. Aug. 27, 2015

The former executive director of Lions Eye Bank of West Central Ohio has pleaded not guilty to charges including theft of more than $338,000.

Angela Kay Burnham, 39, of Springboro, was indicted earlier this month on one county of aggravated theft over $150,000, one count of money laundering and three counts of forgery.

An investigation into the financial activity of the nonprofit uncovered she had made more than $36,000 in personal transactions on the group’s credit card and had unauthorized checks totaling nearly $33,000 issued. Additionally, she paid to herself more than $319,000 in payroll checks for which she was not entitled.

Burnham was executive director from 2002 until she was forced to resign in August 2014, the Kettering non-profit said in a statement earlier this month.

UPDATE @ 5:01 p.m. Aug. 12, 2015: Lions Eye Bank of West Central Ohio contacted the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office in July 2014 when its board learned that Angela Kay Burnham, then executive director, may have been engaged in improper financial conduct, the Kettering nonprofit said in a prepared statement.

That call to the prosecutor’s fraud division initiated the investigation that led to the indictment returned this afternoon formally charging Burnham with stealing more than $388,000 during her tenure.

Burnham was executive director from 2002 until she was forced to resign in August 2014, according to the statement.

In light of the situation involving Burnham, the board and management have taken the following steps:

• Reviewed policies and procedures and instituted additional stringent internal financial controls to safeguard this type of conduct
• Filed the appropriate claim with Lion's Eye Bank's bonding company to recover all financial losses incurred during Burnham's tenure.

FIRST REPORT Aug. 12, 2015

Angela Kay Burnham, former Lions Eye Bank of West Central Ohio executive director, now stands indicted on charges including theft of more than $388,000.

The 39-year-old Springboro resident is accused in an indictment returned by a Montgomery County grand jury this afternoon, county Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr.’s office said.

Burnham was appointed executive director in 2011 by the organization’s board of directors. A longtime employee, Burnham as executive director had control of the organization’s payroll and sole access to the credit card.

An investigation into the financial activity of the nonprofit uncovered she had made more than $36,000 in personal transactions on the group’s credit card and had unauthorized checks totaling nearly $33,000 issued. Additionally, she paid to herself more than $319,000 in payroll checks for which she was not entitled.

The eye bank is located in the 3300 block of Office Park Drive in Kettering. The nonprofit moved to that location, from its Southtown Boulevard building, in May 2014.

The indictment formally charges Burnham with the following:

Arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 27.