Manawa chapter officer accused of theft
Investigators estimate that the former treasurer of the Manawa chapter of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary (DAVA) stole $14,382 from the group.
Carrie A. Willems, 56, Athelstone, is charged with felony theft and forgery.
On Dec. 11, 2020, Detective Sgt. Chase Schroeder, with New London police, met with the state commander of the DAVA.
She reported that while Willems was the chapter treasurer, she failed to provide the state DAVA with an annual financial report by Sept. 30, 2019.
According to the criminal complaint, the state commander said the state DAVA sent Willems multiple letters and spoke with her on the phone about the missing report.
Willems allegedly claimed she had mailed the documents, but she believed the checkbook and receipts had been lost in the mail.
The DAVA accused Willems of taking more than $14,000 from the chapter’s bank account.
The Manawa chapter commander told Schroeder that chapter members would vote on how to distribute the funds, she would then sign the checks, some of which were blank, and Willems would send them to specified places.
While reviewing the checks with Schroeder, the chapter commander said her signature had been forged on several of them and several only had Willems’ signature.
Schroeder met with Willems on Feb. 22.
Willems denied taking any money and that “every dollar” went to veterans.
She said she forged signatures on checks because she had moved away, and it was difficult to obtain the second signature she needed for the checks.
Willems reportedly told Schroeder the records had been lost in the mail.
She later admitted to taking $4,310 from the DAVA account, but could not account for the rest of the missing money, the complaint says.
Willems is scheduled for an initial court appearance on April 6.