A former charity leader has been sentenced to a mere six months in prison after siphoning off $500,000 from a community organisation over a span of ten years. Angela Stathopoulos, who managed the Prahran Community Learning Centre in Melbourne, was found to have used charity funds for extravagant overseas holidays, including trips to Disneyland, New York, and Hawaii, while drawing a six-figure salary amidst a tight budget.
The deceit came to light when volunteer accountant Maggie Burke noticed the centre’s poor condition, leading her to investigate the charity’s finances. Her findings revealed around 4,800 fraudulent transactions, with 83% deemed illegitimate by Detective Sergeant Lisa Herbert of Victoria Police. Stathopoulos had fabricated cheques and used official letterheads to cover her tracks.
Despite the severity of her actions, local charity volunteers were outraged by the leniency of her six-month prison sentence after two and a half years were suspended. Sentenced to three years in the County Court of Victoria, Stathopoulos is expected to be released by the year’s end.