Former CEO of Make-A-Wish Iowa Faces 3 Felony Charges for Embezzlement

After being dismissed from her position last year, the former CEO of Make-A-Wish Iowa was arrested this week for allegedly embezzling thousands of dollars from the charity during her tenure.

Jennifer Woodley was arrested on Thursday and now faces two felony counts of first-degree theft and one count of unauthorized use of a credit card, according to ABC. She was later released from a Des Moines jail on bond.

According to a criminal complaint filed against the 40-year-old, Woodley allegedly awarded herself a $10,000 bonus in October 2019 without approval from the charity's board. Along with the bonus, which cost the organization $15,540 in total according to police, she also made 84 unauthorized purchases on a work credit card. The purchases made for her personal use totaled more than $23,000 during her time as CEO.

Make-A-Wish Iowa is one of 60 chapters of the nationwide nonprofit that was founded to fulfill the wishes of children with critical illnesses. One of Woodley's own daughters, who required brain surgery, received a trip to Disney World through the foundation before she was hired as CEO.

Woodley was fired just over a year after taking on the position. At the time, the nonprofit cited "financial irregularities during a compliance review" as the reason for her dismissal. After the organization "swiftly dismissed" her, board chairman Dave Farnsworth said they notified police.

“We thank the Urbandale Police Department for its investigation into this breach of Make-A-Wish's ethical standards and policies, and we will continue to cooperate with law enforcement,” Farnsworth told ABC. “We know that we have an obligation to safeguard every dollar given to us.”

Each charge Woodley faces carries a felony sentence of up to 10 years in prison.