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Article Courtesy of
WFTV Channel 9
By James Tutten
Published November 3, 2020
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GROVELAND — A woman in Orange County is charged with grand theft after police
said she took money from a Lake County homeowners' association to pay her own
bills.
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Police said Joan-Marie
Baskett was elected secretary of the Ranch Club Homeowner’s
Association, which is based at Eagle Run in Groveland.
The HOA president reported a large sum of money was missing
from the HOA’s bank account on May 20, according to a police
report.
Police said three bank accounts with variations of Joan
Baskett’s name were used to withdraw $121,390 from the HOA’s
account.
Officers said some of the bank accounts had written checks
to Baskett and her husband for $97,045.
Police said the HOA reported $365,754.80 of expenses
unrelated to normal business had been taken from the
accounts. |
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Joan-Marie Baskett
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The Ranch Club HOA members are not paid positions and Baskett did not have
permission to use HOA funds for person use, officers said.
According to an arrest report, she told police she used the money to pay her
mortgage and other bills and that the situation had “snowballed.”
Baskett was arrested and charged with grand theft.
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