A 55-year-old Casper woman is accused of embezzling funds from fundraisers intended for her Glenrock client, who has ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Sherri Roberts of Empower Case Management will appear in Douglas Circuit Court on Thursday for an initial hearing on a felony charge of exploitation of a vulnerable adult.
The charge stems from the case management of Deanna Cotten, a 43-year-old Glenrock woman with ALS.
Cotten is a former businesswoman and author who has written about her struggles to cope with the disease.
The Wyoming Department of Family Services alerted police, who began an investigation into Roberts.
According to a Glenrock Police Department probable cause affidavit, Roberts organized three fundraisers to help the Cotten family with expenses: a meal train fundraiser, a vendor fair organized by her own company Cowboy State Events LLC, and a comedy night fundraiser.
“Initially, Sherri claimed she could not provide any financial accounting for the fundraisers,” according to the paperwork. “Sherri later provided documents listing accounting for each fundraiser.”
In her affidavit, Glenrock Investigator Rachel Brurud claims that before becoming Cotten’s case worker, Roberts organized the meal train through the website MealTrain.com.
The affidavit states that Cotten did not provide any bank account information for Roberts to use but noticed “an unknown account” was linked to the fundraiser.
The affidavit states that $390 was donated into the account on four dates beginning May 2024. Cotten’s account was not added to the fundraiser until she asked Roberts how she could access the donations.
Unable To Account
Roberts admitted to the investigator that the initial account belonged to her and said the money was used to buy durable medical equipment.
The affidavit states that Roberts provided receipts for $151 but was unable to account for the remaining $238.
Cotten provided the investigator with text messages from Roberts, in which she explained that her Medicare Part B coverage would pay for the medical equipment.
Cotten requested that Roberts provide an accounting of all fundraisers conducted on her behalf. Roberts then emailed Cotten, stating that $3,400 had been placed in a “private bank account” for family use “after her passing.”
“Deanna had no knowledge of this money,” the affidavit says.
Roberts explained to the investigator that it was set up at Cotten’s husband’s request.
According to the affidavit, Roberts stated that the money was raised through a vendor fair fundraiser. Cotten’s husband denied any knowledge of the funds, according to the affidavit.
Roberts attempted to organize a vendor fair fundraiser through her Cowboy State Events company, but not enough vendors registered, and the event was canceled. According to the affidavit, Roberts offered vendors the option of donating their fee, and vendors responded by email about whether they wanted to donate or receive their money back.
Brurud reported that Roberts provided a list of vendors who contributed to the $3,400.
“I contacted the list of vendors and located two individuals that stated they donated their fees to Deanna but were documented by Sherri as having a full refund,” the affidavit reads. “The total amount was $200.”
Comedy Night Fundraiser
A comedy night fundraiser on May 2 involved a comedian performance and a dinner. The affidavit states that T-shirts were also sold and that there were several auction items.
According to the affidavit, Cotten received a check for $5,170 approximately five weeks after the event.
Roberts told the investigator that the proceeds were collected and given to a bookkeeper, who then issued a check to Cotten.
Roberts documented that the event raised $5,402 in gross ticket sales, $2,415 in auction items and cash, and a $1,000 donation for food and venue rental. According to the affidavit, the auction items alone totaled $1,910.
The investigation revealed that 39 T-shirts were sold for $25 each, with $390 deducted from the proceeds to pay for the shirts at $10 each.
The affidavit states that Eventbrite was used to sell T-shirts and tickets online, but not at the door. Attendees made additional donations.
“Sherri documented on the ALS Comedy Fundraiser form that all cash and auction items totaled $2,415. This figure is exceeded when only T-shirt and auction sales items are included,” Brurud stated in the affidavit. “At this time, there is no known amount for all missing funds.
“Sherri provided the documentation and was in charge of the event. Sherri stated that she collected the money the night of the event.
According to the affidavit, Roberts is accused of exploiting Cotten and withholding money that was supposed to be donated to her.
The charge of exploitation of a vulnerable adult carries up to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
In a statement to Cowboy State Daily, Cotten said the case teaches a lesson.
“This case highlights how easily trust can be abused and the importance of knowing how to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation and abuse,” she pointed out.
