North Carolina PTSO Treasurer Accused of Diverting $300,000 in Funds Into Online Gambling

Authorities in North Carolina have arrested 53-year-old Rachel Cluna, a treasurer for a parent-teacher-student organization (PTSO) in Union County, for allegedly embezzling over $300,000, with a portion of it spent on online gambling.

According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, a school resource officer at Cuthbertson High School received a tip on November 12 about potential misuse of funds within a PTSO.

Investigators’ initial audit discovered that the treasurer was diverting funds to use on online gambling platforms. The audit revealed 61 transactions worth approximately $85,000 linked to the sites.

Further investigation discovered that Cluna misappropriated over $309,000. The case is ongoing, with the Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensic Examiner still analyzing 14 electronic devices for additional evidence.

Authorities have not disclosed which sites were used, how long the pattern continued, or how the transactions were concealed.

Authorities charged Cluna with embezzlement. She was released from Union County jail after posting a $100,000 bond. Her next court date is in April 2026.

Part of a Broader Pattern of Gambling-Linked Embezzlement

Cluna’s alleged misappropriation of school funds joins a growing list of incidents across the U.S. in which individuals in financial roles have stolen money from their employers to feed their gambling habits.

In late September, in unrelated cases, women in Ohio and Maryland received sentences of up to one year in prison. They collectively embezzled over $3 million from their employers, including an Ohio housing development and the U.S. State Department.

A week earlier, authorities in Minnesota and Pennsylvania announced separate embezzlement charges also worth over $3 million linked to gambling-related losses. Both involved nonprofit or municipal accounts.

In August, a former Washington State employee received an 18-month sentence for diverting $878,000 over several years. He allegedly spent a substantial portion on gambling.

Also in August, a federal prosecutor in New York charged a former JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs executive with misappropriating $4.3 million from a crypto casino startup for personal use, including gambling.

Earlier this year in Texas, authorities charged a resident with stealing $683,000 from an employer to feed his gambling addiction.