Ohio Girl Scouts troop leader charged for allegedly stealing cookie money

Pataskala, OH – Jill Gauthie, a Pataskala resident and Girl Scouts leader, was recently indicted by a Licking County grand jury on one count of theft (F4). Gauthie is accused of stealing an estimated $12,500 from cookie sales and event fees.

An investigation by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Charitable Law Section and the Pataskala Police Department found that, for roughly five years, Gauthier allegedly deposited cookie money and event fees collected from the parents of troop members into personal bank accounts. She then used the money for personal purchases.

“She was literally caught with her hand in the cookie jar — an adult-size jar that should carry an adult-size timeout in a place with locking doors and barred windows,” Yost said. “How many boxes of Thin Mints will her troop need to sell to make up for her betrayal?”