Another "Charity" Person Arrested

@noni1959 (10918)
United States
October 25, 2025 5:34pm CST
I was reading the news today and saw another person steal close to 11 million intended to feed hungry children. Connie Bobo was in charge of the New Heights Community Center in Bridgeton (St Louis area), and claimed she provided meals for nearly 6 million children to a tune of $20 million, but instead, she put millions into commercial real estate, bought a lavish home, homes for relatives, and cars and gave $1.4 million to her boyfriend who bought a Mercedes for part of it. When the scheme began unraveling, she used family and friends as "board members" and some claimed they had no idea they were named. She also falsified invoices from companies. What isn't clear if the boyfriend and relatives will lose those homes and cars, or be indicted for that manner. I would assume so since they had to have known. Her defense is claiming she didn't intentionally steal. Seriously? She also did a two hour standoff and tried to escape before the police finally broke in to arrest her. She rejected a plea deal. It isn't just fraud, it's evil. This is serious money waste from not having stronger balances and checks.
8 people like this
10 responses
Amber
@AmbiePam (104961)
• United States
25 Oct
Wow, that’s a very broad scheme. How do these people think they’ll get away with it.
5 people like this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
25 Oct
It's crazy. She thought she could cook the books. Just buying all that on her salary would have tossed up red flags.
4 people like this
Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (50075)
•
26 Oct
To steal from anyone is terrible, of course. But the fact that she ran a fake scheme and lied, saying she fed hungry children, is despicable. I sincerely hope she has to give it all up.
3 people like this
Judy Story
@jstory07 (146201)
• Roseburg, Oregon
26 Oct
I hope so to. @MarieCoyle.
2 people like this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
26 Oct
I hope so too plus all she spent on others. It's vile.
1 person likes this
Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (50075)
•
26 Oct
@noni1959 I bet the people she bought the houses for, and whatever else she bought, will have to be sold. Let's hope she gets a long incarceration somewhere...not so nice.
1 person likes this
Judy Story
@jstory07 (146201)
• Roseburg, Oregon
26 Oct
That was some nerve that she would steal that much money.
2 people like this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
26 Oct
It was horrible greed at the expense of children and tax payers. Just awful.
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (160420)
• United States
26 Oct
I'm glad they caught her. I hope she gets to go to prison for a long time.
2 people like this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
26 Oct
me too. They offered her a plea deal but didn't say what it was. She is to be sentenced in January under all the charges and so far looks like 20 years. Sure hope no parole during that time.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (160420)
• United States
26 Oct
@noni1959 I guess that would depend on who she can bribe before her court trial starts.
1 person likes this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
26 Oct
@DaddyEvil I haven't found any more news that hasn't repeated. For her to get away with this for so long, it makes me wonder if any other official was involved as well.
1 person likes this
Lenore Plassman
@sallypup (66503)
• Centralia, Washington
26 Oct
That is the lowest of the low. She needs to pay for that big time.
2 people like this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
16h
I agree. It's bad enough someone scamming and committing fraud but to take from hungry kids, it's just the lowest of evil.
1 person likes this
George B Vieto
@Deepizzaguy (115497)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
26 Oct
It is a shame that some people are crooked.
3 people like this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
26 Oct
It's very horrible.
2 people like this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (181140)
• Boise, Idaho
27 Oct
It's all a shell game. They use "church" and "community" in the names of these things thinking no one will check into them that way. I'm glad she didn't get away and that she was arrested. Yeah, it's evil all right.
1 person likes this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (181140)
• Boise, Idaho
14h
@noni1959 ........They really do.
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
16h
They definitely need more checks and balances and stricter regulations.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (364856)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Oct
That is really, really bad. Surely those that benefited must have known about it or had suspicions.
1 person likes this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
16h
I agree. If someone offered to buy me an expensive house and worked for a charity, I'd be asking a lot of questions. Just seeing an expensive car would give me pause. They had to have known.
1 person likes this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
15h
@JudyEv Many years ago, I worked seasonal for both the March of Dimes and City of Hope, and no one could afford even part of the lifestyle she was doing. I wonder if her boyfriend will do a plea if they find he knew. I bet he'll turn on her.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (364856)
• Rockingham, Australia
15h
@noni1959 I wonder about the big charities too in third world countries that have big 4WD. Some of the admin/management staff would never go out in the field and could make do with something smaller.
1 person likes this
LindaOH
@LindaOHio (204592)
• United States
26 Oct
That's disgusting. I hope she/they get the book thrown at her/them.
1 person likes this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
16h
Me too. She should get a year for each million and each child she claimed she helped. She'd be in for life and should be.
1 person likes this
Namaca21
@Namaco21 (297)
•
26 Oct
That's just awful. I can't believe someone could take money meant to feed children and use it for personal luxury. That's just pure Greed and lack of conscience.
1 person likes this
Loretta
@noni1959 (10918)
• United States
16h
Someone like this has to be a sociopath. No conscious at all. Pure evil is right.