In an e-mail to WACC members Dec. 10, Duhon said he terminated office manager Rhonda Vickery on Dec. 7 after discovering she allegedly made personal purchases using Chamber funds.

“I would describe the situation as extremely serious,” he wrote. “To our knowledge, these purchases occurred without the permission of any member of the WACC board of directors.”

In an interview with the Tribune Dec. 11, Duhon said he and WACC Treasurer Judy Doyle discovered the misuse of funds on Dec. 7.

After the discovery, they met with the Waller Police Department (WPD) for two hours to go over the financial information they found.

“It is my understanding they are now working with the Waller County District Attorney’s Office,” he said.

Duhon said he has conducted a review and believes the amount allegedly stolen may be in excess of $40,000.

“It appears at this time a lot of it was through the use of a charge card,” he said. “We’ve also found fraudulent checks.”

The alleged purchases made were on everyday items such as groceries, gasoline and household bills, he said, adding that there were also ATM withdrawals.

“There are some things we still haven’t been able to quantify,” he said. “A lot of that is still under investigation.”

“If it is determined that laws were broken, the Chamber will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” Duhon stated in the e-mail. “Additionally, we are auditing all financial controls and will make whatever changes necessary to ensure financial stability and reliability.”

Vickery, who had worked at the Chamber since November 2008, had previously been reprimanded for performance issues, but never for anything “financially-related,” said Duhon.

The discovery has taken its toll on the organization, he said.

“Obviously, this has been a very stressful time for the board members and our organization,” said Duhon. “This has literally brought us to our knees.”

But he stressed that the Chamber is still functioning despite the situation.

“We are fully operational,” he said, adding that the Miss Waller Teen Pageant is still on track to take place and “nothing has changed as far as the Chamber and what we’re trying to do for our community.”

He asked that any members that have noticed any irregularities in regard to dues, payments or checks to assist in the investigation by contacting the Chamber office.

No charges have been filed as of press time, according to the WPD.

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