Why a Girl Scouts Troop Leader Was Arrested, Charged With Felony

When you think of the Girl Scouts, you think wholesome teachings and role models for America’s youth, with an outcome of understanding life and how to navigate it a little better.

You most certainly don’t think of fraud — but a Girl Scouts troop leader was recently arrested and charged with a felony for the craziest reason.

A former South Carolina Girl Scouts Troop Leader is accused of stealing nearly $20,000 in Girl Scout funds from her troop. Melissa Lynn Arrwood is charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent valued at $10,000 or more.

According to a Charleston news station who saw the arrest warrant, in January, Arrwood was given $119,194 in Girl Scout merchandise to sell for the season. At the end of the season, she was supposed to turn in $93,994.05; however, she only submitted $74,199.28.

After busting out the ole’ calculator, we see that that left $19,794.77 unaccounted for. Here’s where it gets even crazier: Arrwood decided to call the police on herself, twice!

She called the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office the first time to report missing funds. She claimed she made a deposit on Feb. 8 that was around $5,000 short.

Then, fast-forward to a couple of months later, she called them again to say she made another deposit on April 11 that was around $31,000 short.

According to the incident report, Arrwood initially told deputies that $37,757 was missing from booth sales. She also told authorities that she notified the Girl Scouts of America Committee and the parents of the Troop 159 girls that funds were missing.

This was a very detailed and intricate scheme that she thought she was planning flawlessly in her head. But folks were tipped off by her alerting to the missing funds, which led to her arrest for the missing money on July 5.

If there is a moral to be found in this one, it’s: Don’t do the crime, but if you do, don’t call the police on yourself, and don’t alert as many people as possible that a crime has been committed. And, don’t mess with a paper trail that leads to a bank, it won’t end well for you.

Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 130 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today’s top stars, like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, + more!