Former PTA president charged with fraud misses plea hearing

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 24, 2019

EVERETT — A former PTA president accused of stealing funds from her school’s organization missed her plea hearing Tuesday.

Judge Jennifer Langbehn issued a $15,000 bench warrant in Snohomish County Superior Court for the arrest of Merridy Senger, 30, for failing to appear in court for the third time.

Senger is charged with first-degree theft, identity theft, three counts of second-degree identity theft and forgery after thousands went missing from the Hawthorne Elementary Parent Teacher Association account.

In spring 2017, a $5,000 check from the PTA bounced. When other members asked Senger to see the books, she gave them a binder and a Ziploc bag full of receipts.

Shortly after, colleagues recognized bogus charges, and Senger resigned.

Everett police later found more than $15,000 was missing from the PTA’s account.

Charging papers allege she made out 27 checks to her then-fiance. The memos said they were for things like ice cream, T-shirts, tables and field days. Of those, 15 were identified by police as being fraudulent, totaling $5,659.31. Eleven of the checks, or some $4,000, couldn’t conclusively be proven illegitimate. Security footage shows Senger depositing the checks at a U.S. Bank.

Additionally, the PTA required two signatures on checks. A PTA member told a detective his name was forged on 22 checks.

The police investigation couldn’t pin all the missing money on Senger, according to charging papers.

Senger previously missed court dates in February and April.

Court records indicate that she was recently evicted from her home in Monroe and may currently be homeless.

Joseph Thompson: 425-339-3430; jthompson@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @byjoeythompson.