Mother Of Student Accused Of Stealing From Marching Band Boosters

Tracey Whittington Colbert

Written by
Staff Writer
Brian Shane
POCOMOKE CITY — A former mother of a high school student is accused of stealing more than $2,200 from the marching band boosters, and now faces several felony charges of theft and forgery.

Police say Tracey Whittington Colbert, 39, of Crisfield, depleted the booster’s account on fast food and retail purchases, while also writing herself hundreds of dollars in checks with forged signatures.

In August, marching band boosters from Pocomoke High School picked Colbert as their president.

Colbert ended up obtaining the boosters’ checkbook from the old treasurer, instead of it being given to the new treasurer, police said.

As the 2012 school year got under way, a dry cleaning bill for marching band uniforms came due. The treasurer began asking Colbert for the checkbook, according to court documents. It wasn’t long before several emails and phone calls to Colbert asking about the checkbook went unanswered, police said.

By Oct. 5, Colbert withdrew her 17-year-old son from Pocomoke High and re-enrolled him in Somerset Count schools. On Oct. 9, detectives met with officials with Pocomoke High School and the Worcester County school board.

Pocomoke High School Principal Annette Wallace and the boosters’ treasurer, Terry Batson, finally went to examine the boosters’ bank account with First Shore Federal bank. They found numerous purchases made at Walmart as well as checks made out to Colbert and her 19-year-old daughter.

According to court documents, Colbert wrote herself 19 checks between Aug. 15 and Oct. 9, paying for McDonald’s food, Domino’s pizza, a bill for mini-storage and items at Walmart.

Police said Colbert wrote her daughter a check for $300, wrote herself a check for $550, and forged signatures on three $100 checks made out to herself.

The total amount spent was $2,271.36. None of the purchases went toward marching band items or expenses, police said.

After the last check was written, for $57.84 at Walmart, there were four insufficient fund charges issued against the account for a total of $100.

The Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office filed charges against Colbert in Worcester County Circuit Court on Nov. 19. She is scheduled to face her charges in a jury trial on Feb. 11, 2013.

Her charges carry a maximum penalty of 80 years in prison and $26,000 in fines.
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