The Belleville Police Department, with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, has concluded an investigation into a large-scale embezzlement case.

The Dane County District Attorney’s Office has formally filed criminal charges against the former director of the Sugar River Senior Center, Amanda Meade, 41 of Palmyra. Meade was charged Friday, January 13, 2023, with two felony counts of Theft of Movable Property (> $10,000), one felony count of Theft in a Business Setting for $10,000 and four felony counts of Unauthorized Use of an Entity’s Identifying Information or Documents.

Meade is accused of using the Senior Center's bank and credit card accounts to pay for personal items, mortgage payments to stop foreclosure proceedings, a trip to Ireland, other trips, clothes, food and car payments, along with other purchases.

The Sugar River Senior Center, which serves the senior population in the Village of Belleville, Township of Exeter (in Green County) and the Township of Montrose (in Dane County), suffered a loss of $136,575.00, including more than $62,000.00 in extra paychecks over the course of seven years.

The staff and board of the Sugar River Senior Center were devastated by the impact of such a loss to the organization. The Senior Center placed the following statement on their Facebook page: “The Sugar River Senior Center is grateful for the work of the Belleville Police Department, the State of Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and the Dane County District Attorney’s office for their hard work in putting together this case. The Sugar River Senior Center and the people it serves have been devastated by the former Director’s betrayal of their trust. The center remains solvent and dedicated to area Seniors. Additional safeguards have been put into place to help prevent this from happening in the future. Any additional questions or comments may be directed to the Belleville Police Department.”

Meade has an initial court date of February 16, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., in Dane County Circuit Court.

Pursuant to the directive of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in the Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicity, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.