COLUMBUS, Ind.–A local woman has been arrested following an investigation into the theft of over $50,000 from a local elementary school’s extracurricular funds. In December 2025, a Columbus Police Department officer was informed by a Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation employee that they uncovered evidence during an audit that led them to believe an employee at Southside Elementary, Lilly Paker, 56 of Columbus, had been stealing funds from the school’s extracurricular account.
The case was assigned to a detective that worked with the Indiana State Board of Accounts and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate further. At the conclusion of the investigation, the case was referred to the prosecutor for review.
On June 2nd, 2025, formal charges were filed for:
• Theft, a level 5 felony
• Forgery, a level 6 felony
• Counterfeiting, a level 6 felony
• Official Misconduct, a level 6 felony
A warrant was issued for Parker’s arrest. She was taken into custody and booked into the Bartholomew County Jail.
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