Police: Former employee embezzled from Lansing food pantry

LANSING - A former Cristo Rey Community Center employee embezzled at least $20,000 from the nonprofit agency, police say.

Lori Elizabeth Smith, 47, faces one felony count of embezzling between $1,000 and $20,000 from a charitable organization. If convicted, she could face an enhanced sentence of more than 12 years thanks to a previous embezzlement conviction.

Smith was hired by Cristo Rey as a human resources employee in September 2016, Lansing Police Detective Joel Mires testified at a court hearing that led to the charge.

He said Joe Garcia, the center's executive director, contacted police in November because he suspected Smith, who was in charge of payroll, had been getting paid for hours she did not work.

Mires said he and Cristo Rey's accountant examined financial documents covering about 10 months. "We added it up and, conservatively, they think she stole about $17,000," he said.

Smith also stole Meijer gift cards worth about $3,000 that were intended for the center's pantry, the detective said.

Smith's attorney did not respond to a message left Thursday seeking comment.

Cristo Rey is a basic needs service center that offers aid through a food pantry, family health center and other programs. Annually, the center serves about 26,000 meals and provides medical services for 8,000 patient visits.

When police contacted Smith she admitted giving the gift cards away to friends and family, and to paying herself more than she earned, Mires said.

"From a human resources role she did an excellent job," Garcia told the State Journal. "I feel devastated for her family. She worked hard... But wrong is wrong. We’re an organization here to help vulnerable populations and it’s really unfortunate what happened."

Cristo Rey has implemented new safeguards to reduce the organization's vulnerability to future embezzlement, Garcia said. 

"I feel very fortunate that we have some insurance mechanisms that help us not skip a beat," he said.

Smith's previous conviction stems from a 2006 Washtenaw County case, according to court records. That case involved embezzlement between $20,000 and $50,000, the records show.

Garcia told the State Journal he was aware of her criminal record when Smith was hired, but not to the extent he knows now.

Contact Christopher Haxel at 517-377-1261 or chaxel@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisHaxel.