Ex-Weber secretary jailed

Additional information:

» Affidavit of Denise Aughney, check documentation (pdf)

OGDEN — Throughout their 11-year marriage, John and Denise Aughney never talked much about where she got all that spending cash.

"I have always had more disposable cash then (sic) John," Denise Aughney wrote in an affidavit. "My activities at the Foundation obviously contributed to this appearance. However, John and I never discussed the source of my income."

The ex-secretary for the Weber School District Foundation is now facing criminal charges, accusing her of taking more than $1 million from the fund-raising arm of the school district. On Friday, the Weber County Attorney's Office filed 57 counts of theft, forgery and money-laundering against her.

Aughney, 46, was arrested and booked into the Weber County Jail on Friday morning. Bail has been set at $445,000. She is scheduled to make her first appearance in 2nd District Court on Feb. 13.

Weber County sheriff's deputies believe Aughney had been taking money from the foundation for at least five years. She had been a part-time secretary for 11 years before the embezzlement plot was discovered. During a November audit, district officials found duplicate checks with forged signatures.

A civil lawsuit filed against her by the Weber School District Foundation says that when confronted, Aughney admitted to taking the money.

"The funds from these checks were deposited and credited against my credit card accounts," she wrote in her affidavit. "I then used my credit card accounts to obtain cash advances and make purchases."

The criminal investigation has recently uncovered more missing money, surpassing the $1 million mark.

"We haven't completed the investigation yet," Weber County Sheriff's Capt. Klint Anderson said Friday. "It's a complex investigation. Her cooperation has helped."

The Deseret Morning News has obtained affidavits and check ledgers that were filed in 2nd District Court, detailing thousands of dollars paid to Denise Aughney.

The Aughneys are alleged to own two homes in pricey South Ogden neighborhoods, three cars, a pair of Wave Runners and numerous bank and credit card accounts. Some of the cars were paid for with the stolen money, Aughney admitted in the affidavit.

"I also have a 2004 Kawasaki Wave Runner which is in my name. I believe it was purchased with illicit funds," she wrote.

Lawyers for the Weber School District Foundation claim that days after being confronted about the missing money, Aughney filed a pair of quit-claim deeds on the homes that she owned. She transferred her interests in the properties to her husband and parents.