Former Canadian County CASA Executive Director Sentenced In Embezzlement Case

The former executive director of a Canadian County charity for abused and neglected children has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison in the embezzlement of more than $55,000.

Traci Lorre Owens, 48, of Edmond was sentenced Friday to 10 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release in the embezzlement of $55,143.93 from the Canadian County Court Appointed Special advocates program.

According to authorities, Owens was the interim executive director and then the executive director of CASA from November 2010 until July 2013. A federal grand jury indicted Owens on July 22, 2015 for embezzling money from Casa which received more than $10,000 in federal assistance annually from the United State Department of Justice. 

Owens created duplicate payroll checks for herself and also deposited checks payable to herself and to cash for reimbursement of unauthorized expenses, according to the indictment.  On August 2, 2016 Owens pled guilty to a superseding information that charged the same embezzlement offense, per court documents.  

In addition to 10 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release, Owens was also ordered to pay restitution to the Canadian County CASA in the amount of $55,143.93.

In mid-2014, Canadian County CASA was reconstituted as a certified CASA under the leadership of a new board of directors after losing its certification in December 2013 as a result of the embezzlement.