Bethune’s granddaughter accused of embezzlement

Evelyn Bethune, granddaughter of Bethune-Cookman University founder Mary McLeod Bethune, was arrested Thursday and charged in with an organized scheme to defraud and two counts of grand theft totaling over $23,000, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department.

Bethune, 66, served as treasurer of the Daytona Chapter of the National League of American Pen Women and used her position to defraud the local and national group, the charging affidavit says.

By moving the group’s money to a bank account under her control, Bethune was able to use its funds to buy personal items including a visit to a nail salon, florist and chiropractor, the affidavit says. “Bethune has (written) several emails advising that the money is frozen in Bethune-Cookman endowment funds and she plans to pay it back when the funds unfreeze,” the affidavit says. “The bank statements clearly show that is not where these funds have gone and Evelyn Bethune willfully and intention(ally) deprived these organizations of their funds. The Daytona chapter was on the verge of being shut down due to all their funds being depleted by Evelyn Bethune.”

Bethune has ties to a number of groups that bear her grandmother’s name. She has no formal relationship with B-CU, Clifford Porter, vice president of institutional advancement, said in an emailed statement.

She was a member of the club for four to five years and served as treasurer since May of 2016, said Janie Owens, president of the Daytona chapter of the National League of American Pen Women.

Owens said she first discovered money was missing in February after asking to see the club’s recent bank statements. Club members never saw it coming, she said.

The Washington, D.C.-based not-for-profit dates back to 1897 and is dedicated to the production or art, writing and music. The local chapter provides scholarships to college students in Volusia County. Owens estimated the loss to be around $17,000.