In Connecticut Superior Court in Danbury on October 12, a Shelton woman pleaded not guilty to one count of second-degree larceny in connection with her alleged embezzlement of $18,580 in funds while she formerly worked as the business manager at the nonprofit EverWonder Children’s Museum on Pecks Lane in Newtown.

Stefani Reyes, 37, elected to have a jury trial on the charge. Ms Reyes is expected to hire a private attorney to represent her in the case, which was continued until November 21, a court official said. Ms Reyes is free on a written promise to appear in court.

After learning that police held a warrant for her arrest, Ms Reyes went to the police station on September 28 and was charged with the felony. Police allege the illegal activity started in June 2016.

Police began an investigation into a June complaint from the museum. That probe later resulted in police seeking and obtaining a court warrant to make the arrest.

The museum is located in space at 31 Pecks Lane formerly used for office/industrial purposes. The town rented space for municipal offices at that address from 2004 to 2009.

EverWonder Children’s Museum was founded in January 2011 by a group of mothers who enjoyed bringing their children to other children’s museums and who wanted to create a similar experience closer to home for everyone in the surrounding communities to enjoy, according to EverWonder’s website. In April 2015, EverWonder Children’s Museum moved from its former smaller quarters to its current location.

Ms Reyes’ occupation is a veterinary assistant at Middle Quarter Animal Hospital in Woodbury, according to court papers.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit submitted by Newtown police Detective Daniel McAnaspie, in June, an EverWonder official went to the police station to file a complaint regarding the group’s discovery that money had been stolen from it. The complainant provided police with various financial records involving bank transactions made by Ms Reyes on behalf of the museum.

Ms Reyes was employed by the museum from November 23, 2015, to June 1, 2018, when she left the organization after being questioned by museum officials about the missing money, according to the court paperwork.

In May and June, the museum brought in two people with financial backgrounds to review the group’s financial records and they noticed “multiple irregularities,” according to the court papers.

On June 24, one of the financial people provided a detailed report to EverWonder members indicating that there was a $18,580.49 cash variance between EverWonder’s Square-brand cash recording system and its Newtown Savings Bank account.

The financial review indicated that during the two-year period, $58,322 was taken in at the museum’s cash register, but only $38,741 was deposited in the group’s bank account. Ms Reyes was responsible for making all bank deposits, according to the court papers.

After reviewing the details of the case, Det McAnaspie submitted a warrant application, which was endorsed by a prosecutor and a judge, after which the detective received the warrant and then made the arrest.