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73 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, September 21, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 25, 2004 Former nonprofit worker indicted Authorities say Juanita Mioni stole cash and property from Mediation Works By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune A former Mediation Works administrative assistant is set to be arraigned next week in connection with the theft of about $5,000 in money and property from the Medford nonprofit agency. Juanita Marie Mioni, 48, 932 Holly St., Medford, was indicted Feb. 18 on charges of first-degree theft and first-degree forgery, court records show. The indictment alleges that the former staffer, who also kept the agency’s books and filed tax records, stole money and property and forged checks between June 2002 and February 2003. Arraignment is scheduled for March 3. Mioni resigned last April after the agency’s executive director, Mary Miller, noticed potential accounting problems, according to Alice Cushman, chair of the board of directors. Officials at the conflict resolution agency, which funds its $200,000 annual budget largely through county government and private grants, immediately suspended Mioni and notified Medford police — and grantmakers, Cushman said. Funders such as the United Way of Jackson County, the Carpenter Foundation and the county Commission on Children and Families were supportive, Cushman said. Jane Carpenter, director of the Carpenter Foundation, said Tuesday that while employee thefts are unfortunate, they don’t deter her organization from funding worthwhile programs. Advertisement "We simply accept them as found and are very sorry," Carpenter said. "That can happen to anyone." Dee Anne Everson, executive director of the United Way, said Mediation Works was forthright in addressing the problem. That will go a long way toward ensuring continued funding, she said. "When we come around to making our decisions in May, our relationship will continue as it has in the past," Everson said. Mediation Works has since contracted with an outside bookkeeper and tightened other accounting procedures, Cushman said. The alleged theft did not affect the agency’s services, which include peer mediation programs in public schools. The losses are estimated to be about $3,000 to $4,000 in cash, Cushman said. The indictment also alleges that at least $1,000 in property was stolen. Pinpointing an exact amount was impossible because bank records had been destroyed, Cushman said. Mioni was a key employee, she added. "She was right in the center of everything," Cushman said. "She did the books. She opened the mail." Everson said the sense of personal betrayal makes fraud at small nonprofit agencies particularly distressing. "The hardest part of all is that it’s always a trusted employee who does it," Everson said. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities