Former PTO board member faces theft charge

In September, papers were filed with the Hot Springs Police Department and Sanders County District Court against Ayla Rose Blasius, alleging she stole money from the Hot Springs Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (HSPTO).

According to official court documents filed, Amy Kenison, Sanders County deputy county attorney, accused Blasius of count 1-Theft, A Common Scheme Felony. According to the court document, between Oct. 25 of 2017 and Aug. 1 of 2018 she “purposely or knowingly obtained or exerted unauthorized control of monetary property from the Hot Springs Elementary Parent Teacher Organization bank account.”

According to reports on Aug. 25, 2018, a Sanders County dispatcher received a call reporting that a current(at time) board member[Blasius] of the HSPTO “may be stealing money from the organization.” Hot Springs Police Department’s Officer Logan Martin was advised of the potential issue and thus investigated.

Blasius is believed to have had control over the funds in the bank account; however, it was stated in an affidavit that one Erin Alt was a co-signer on the account, but had resigned as a member of the organization when she moved from the town.

ALT SAID in the affidavit that since moving she had not had any involvement with the organization, and she had been contacted because she was still a signatory on the account for the HSPTO, and was asked to sign off to close the account and distribute funds.

Alt stated she had thought there was more than $6,000 in the account; however, she was advised there was only a balance showing of just over $8.

Bank statements from the account showed charges to online shopping sites, such as Amazon, hotel reservations, and Telmate inmate services, plus gas stations and numerous ATM withdrawals.

Alt then advised that Blasius was the signer on the account and was given a debit card for the account in question once Alt moved out of state. Alt also said in documents that the debit card in question linked to the account had never been reported stolen.

Once Alt was aware of a probable situation, she had contacted Martin to fill out a complaint. Martin’s investigation showed that reservations through hotwire.com had been made under Blasius’ name.

Once interviewed, Blasius confirmed to Martin that the charges on the HSPTO were hers.

Including generic charges showing on filed documents, it also showed that Blasius had purchased tickets and accommodations for an event to which was confirmed by an unnamed source.

Balances showed on documents that the from Oct. 22, 2017 to Aug. 15, 2018 there were $6,078.79 in funds gone that were not authorized by the HSPTO.

With multiple dates and charges listed in the affidavit, documents show the potential case was one that gave reasonable doubt alleging Blasius had knowingly used funds that weren’t of her own property.

A hearing was set for Oct. 16 in Sanders County District Court, for Blasius to attend; however, any plea given was unattainable by time of press.