According to a press release from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, 46-year-old Kerry M. Surowiec of La Porte has been arrested following a criminal investigation.
Early last month, La Porte Community School Corporation’s School Resource Officer, Deputy Austin Epple, was notified by a corporation administrator of concerns regarding the Kingsbury Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) account and its associated monies. The Kingsbury PTO is an independent educational nonprofit organization.
A criminal investigation was initiated by Deputy Epple following several unauthorized transactions being conducted within the account. Through this, the organization’s treasurer, Surowiec, was identified as a suspect.
Captain Chief of Detectives Andy Hynek was assigned to lead the investigation. Over the course of the next several weeks, he continued to gather and document information related to the case. Captain Hynek forwarded his investigation findings to the La Porte County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on January 26th for review.
Probable Cause was found in La Porte County Circuit Court where Surowiec was officially charged with one (1) count of Theft, a level 6 felony, and an arrest warrant was issued on February 4th.
Surowiec self-surrendered on February 6th at the La Porte County Jail, and was released from custody after a cash bond was posted on her behalf.
The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office stated that it remains committed to its strong partnership with the La Porte Community School Corporation, to not only include school safety but also the success of the Kingsbury PTO.
Arrests and criminal charges are mere accusations. Every person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
