You know that first question we all ask ourselves when we get our first corporate credit card? Something along the lines of – “What would happen if I went crazy, put a bunch of money on it, and then got fired or quit?”
Well, a metro woman apparently asked herself that same question while working for a church… and the answer, it turns out, is you get arrested and go to jail.
That mugshot is of Kandace Ballenger – a local aesthetician.
According to a report by KFOR, she was arrested and charged with embezzlement after allegedly racking up nearly $100,000 on a credit card belonging to First Presbyterian Church.
Via KFOR:
Within six months of working at The First Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City last year, a woman allegedly spent nearly $100,000 on the church’s credit card.
Kandace Ballenger was arrested last week, booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center, and charged with embezzlement. She posted bond and was released soon after…
“That’s a lot of money,” said a man who lives near the church.
Yes, that is a lot of money, Mr. Man Who Lives Near Church.
It also raises a pretty obvious question – how in Christ’s name does it take six months for someone to notice that kind of spending? Seriously, what kind of credit limit is The First Presbyterian Church working with here? Are they handing out black cards during employee orientation? Someone needs to sign them up for Credit Karma alerts!
According to KFOR, Ballenger primarily spent the money on gym memberships, Thunder games, and weird Christmas photography sessions...
Okay. Those aren't real. They're AI creations that Ballenger shared on her personal Facebook page under the name “Elizabeth Strother.”
For a more real and unfiltered look at the alleged conwoman, here’s a recent video she posted on her page encouraging women to use their husband's credit card to pay for her services.
Interesting. I wonder if the phone calls she gets from angry husbands are similar to the one she got from the church when they discovered the pile of Visa bills in the accounts payable folder?
Anyway, you can watch the full report about Ballenger below:
I think we can all agree that people who steal from schools, churches, and other nonprofits are the worst, and if the allegations are true, I hope she’s held accountable. I also hope First Presbyterian Church tightens up its credit card procedures. As it turns out, that little corporate card question I joked about in the intro isn’t always hypothetical.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
