Crime & Safety

Former Mendota Heights Girl Scout Leader Sentenced for Theft of Cookie Money

Joleen Marie Hopkins will spend 90 days in jail, 30 days under house arrest, and five year in probation.

Mendota Heights resident and former Girl Scout leader Joleen Marie Hopkins, 55, was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days in jail, 30 days electronic home monitoring and five years probation after pleading guilty in June to stealing approximately $8,200 from a local Girl Scout troop.

Hopkins was also ordered to pay restitution of $8,419.23

Hopkins was the troop leader from 2005 until the thefts were discovered in 2009. The troop was disbanded shortly after.

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Hopkins spent the Girl Scout troop’s cookie proceeds on casinos, personal bills, gas and sporting equipment for her family in 2008 and 2009, according to an investigation by the .   

She told police that she and her husband were unemployed at the time.

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Proceeds from cookie sales are divided into payments to the troop’s fund, and the rest to the Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys Chapter fund. The troop leader has access to the troop’s bank accounts.

Some deposits were made into the accounts in 2008 and 2009, and the missing balance was paid through personal checks from Hopkins, written off of bank accounts that had been closed in 2006 and 2007 due to overdrafts. Those checks were returned unpaid to the chapter.

According to the criminal complaint, Hopkins, then spent down the existing balances. One account had $15 left in February of 2008.

“It is always disturbing to see crimes of this nature which adversely impact youth and the Girl Scout community,” said County Attorney James Backstrom in a statement released Tuesday, “We are pleased to hold this offender accountable for her actions.”

Hopkins was initially charged with two counts of theft by swindle and four counts of theft. The four counts of theft were dismissed.  


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