ROCKLAND —  A Rockland woman was charged with allegedly stealing and forging vouchers from a local food pantry that also provides emergency services for children and families in Knox County.

Colleen Hupper, 50, was arrested Oct. 7 by Rockland police and charged with two counts of theft and three counts of forgery for allegedly stealing three vouchers from the Area Interfaith Outreach (AIO) food pantry in Rockland and using them to obtain services and oil from Central Maine Power and Maritime Energy.

The investigation began Sept. 12 when Detective Joel Neal was contacted by Sherry Cobb, board president of AIO, to report that three vouchers had been stolen. The estimated total value of the vouchers is approximately $300, according to the police affidavit.

The stolen vouchers had been entered into the pantry’s administration system, were embossed with the AIO seal, and recorded following the organization’s intake procedures. This lead police to conclude that whoever entered the vouchers knew the correct office procedures, although the name of the supervisor who regularly signs off on all vouchers had been misspelled and did not match her regular handwriting.

Hupper was a volunteer at the pantry and knew the voucher process and intake procedures, according to the court document.

One of the vouchers was used for CMP services totaling $150, while another was used at Maritime Energy who delivered 75 gallons of oil worth $138.68 to a home in Rockland. A third voucher had apparently not yet been submitted, according to the court document.

The investigation also revealed that the person who allegedly stole the vouchers most likely entered the building through the window with an air conditioner since it was damaged and the screws to hold it in place were missing. This incident matched the date recorded on the stolen vouchers.

Based on the information collected during the investigation, Neal determined that Hupper had likely forged the vouchers and requested a warrant for her arrest Oct. 7. She was taken to Knox County Jail and was later released on $2,000 unsecured bail.

Hupper will make her initial court appearance Nov. 28 in Knox County Unified Court.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com  

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