Troop Leader Caught With Hand in Girl Scout Cookie Jar
A Kentucky Girl Scouts troop leader, Leah Anne Vick, was arrested this week for allegedly stealing over 6,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. With the average box of Girl Scout cookies containing 20 cookies, that's over 120,000 delicious, purloined treats. The street value of all those cookies is estimated at $26,000.
Vick, 26, signed for and picked up the 6,000+ boxes of cookies to distribute to her troop as part of her role as troop leader, but none of her girls ever reported receiving their inventories. It has also been reported that the Girl Scout's organization believes that Vick may have even stolen additional boxes that were destined for other troops, but were unsure because those boxes were not signed for.
A Real Life Cookie Monster?
While Vick was only recently arrested, and the allegations are still only allegations, the evidence being reported by the media is rather damning. The Girl Scout's organization attempted on numerous occasions to reach out to Vick, but she failed to respond, except for once. The one time Vick did respond, she said she would send the money for the cookies, then never did.
The Girl Scouts allows members to sell the cookies prior to paying, and troop leaders are responsible for handling the money. The saddest part of this whole fiasco is that the girls in Vick's troop are likely to feel the worst of it. Cookie sales are what fund much a troop's activities throughout the year. Additionally, through the annual cookie sales, members learn rather important lessons about selling and money management. Furthermore, because Girl Scout cookies are irresistible -- and basically sell themselves -- the troop missed out on the yearly confidence boost that comes along with closing all those sales.
After the grand jury returned a felony theft indictment, law enforcement struggled to track down Vick. Allegedly, she maintained several different addresses. And although Vick was arrested, the cookies or proceeds from the cookie sales have yet to be found by authorities. As such, law enforcement officials are still hopeful that the missing cookies, or at least the money from Vick selling the cookies on her own, will be discovered for the benefit of the troop.
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- Girl Scout Cookies: Woman Attacks Roommate Over Thin Mints (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Sell Girl Scout Cookies at Work, Get Fired? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- In Girl Scout Cookie Dispute, Colo. Man Sued for $740 (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
