Woman arrested for stealing money from Winter Garden Little League

A former Winter Garden Little League president was arrested Friday, Feb. 11, for stealing money from the league’s accounts.

According to Winter Garden Police Department reports, Jaclyn Lowe, 43, was charged with third-degree grand theft and scheming to defraud after a league investigation revealed Lowe had made withdrawals totaling $4,176 from the league’s SunTrust account. Lowe used the money to make purchases at retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon, the report said.

In a statement given to police by Leesa Hodges, assistant district administrator for Florida District 14 Little League, the league received a parent complaint in July 2020 asking for a review of the league’s financials.

The ensuing review revealed several anomalies, including cash withdrawals, purchases at various retailers, as well as a missing computer, Hodges said.

In October 2020, Lowe gave the league a check for $329.99, a check for $22.74 and a Best Buy gift card in the amount of $350. However, that leaves a balance of $3,473.27, which does not include debit card purchases still in question, Hodges said in her statement.

“The actions of Jaclyn Lowe, and we stress, the former president of the Winter Garden Little League, greatly affected the trust granted to her by the Board of Directors of the league,” the league said in a prepared statement. “Since uncovering Ms. Lowe’s alleged actions, which included a number of expenditures and financial transactions (that) did not appear to have been used for the operation of the league itself, the matter was fully vetted by law enforcement officials. 

“When Ms. Lowe’s actions were brought to the attention of the league’s board and the District 14 staff, the District staff initiated an investigation the matter and found a number of inconsistencies in the expenditures and financial transactions made by Ms. Lowe,” the statement said. “Again, once discovered, the matter was turned over to the appropriate law enforcement officials for their full vetting and investigation. 

“The league and district offices have fully cooperated with law enforcement officials, and will await a decision of Ms. Lowe's peers through the criminal justice system,” the statement said. “The league has now moved forward from the impact of Ms. Lowe's actions on the league’s family of parents and players.”

Winter Garden Little League is scheduled to host its opening day celebration Saturday, Feb. 26, at the WGLL fields, 415 S. Park Ave. Although this case is ongoing, it is not affecting the league’s ability to move forward with its season, Hodges said.

Lowe posted bond. Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, March 3.