Investigators say a local woman is facing nearly a dozen theft-related charges, accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Cambria County Bar Association, as well as embezzling funds from an area nonprofit organization.
Authorities say 56-year-old Robin Hagins is accused of embezzling more than $300,000 while working as the executive director of the bar association.
According to the 11-page grand jury report, officials say Hagins reportedly used the stolen funds for “frequent cosmetic procedures and numerous trips to Mexico.”
Investigators say Hagins is also accused of embezzling money from the local nonprofit, Cuddles for Kids, which was founded by her son in 2006.
According to its mission statement, Cuddles for Kids was created with the goal of assisting families and children in the community, specifically those who are dealing with “life-changing” events, such as medical hardships.
Authorities note that her son is not specifically identified in the indictment nor is he facing any charges.
According to the report, authorities allege that Hagins reportedly used CCBA funds to pay for at least two of the nonprofit’s public events, including a bingo fundraiser at a local hotel and a kids’ luncheon event at an area entertainment venue.
Investigators say the stolen funds were first discovered, in the summer of 2023, when the then-president of the Cambria County Bar Association (CCBA) allegedly received an overdraft notice from the bank.
Authorities say the notice led to an audit of the CCBA’s finances, which revealed several discrepancies, including “suspected overpayment’s” to Hagins, multiple overdraft fees and a recurring, monthly payment of $200 toward an unknown Small Business Loan.
Investigators note that Hagins was contracted as the CCBA’s executive director, beginning in 2015, under the name of CCR Professional Services.
While serving as executive director, authorities say some of Hagins’ duties included managing the CCBA’s finances and submissions to the legal journal, as well as monitoring the association’s email accounts.
According to the grand jury report, investigators say that when the discrepancies were initially reviewed by the CCBA board, they discovered that most of the association’s email accounts had reportedly been “wiped clean or deleted.”
Upon further questioning, investigators say Hagins reportedly denied any wrongdoing and later messaged the new CCBA president, blaming any “mistakes” on the previous board president’s “failure” to communicate with her.
Investigators say the CCBA board testified that more than 100 unauthorized checks were reportedly paid out to CCR, from the bar association.
“As executive director of the Cambria County Bar Association, the defendant was entrusted with carrying out its important mission through educational and philanthropic endeavors that benefit the community,” Attorney General Sunday said. “The defendant’s alleged actions betrayed the trust of the Bar Association while enabling herself to live a lavish lifestyle with someone else’s funds,” — the Attorney General’s office said in a statement.
Authorities also learned that Hagins had reportedly applied for and was granted a $45,000 COVID Disaster Relief Small Business Loan, on behalf the CCBA, in which she allegedly used her own, personal homeowner’s insurance as collateral.
Investigators note that on the same day that the loan was deposited into the CCBA’s account, Hagins reportedly wrote herself a check, made payable to CCR, in the amount of $26,000.
Upon further investigation, authorities also discovered numerous discrepancies with the finances for Cuddles for Kids.
Investigators say not only did Hagins allegedly use CCBA funds to pay for some of the nonprofit’s events, but she also allegedly stole nearly $3,000 from the organization, which she reportedly used to make payments on a timeshare property in Key West, Florida.
According to Hagins attorney, Cuddles for Kids has reportedly since disbanded and is no longer operational.
Online court records show that Hagins was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on multiple theft-related felonies, including theft by unlawful taking, theft by failure to make required deposit of funds and forgery. She is free on unsecured bail.