An independent audit to investigate how much money was stolen from the Bessie Smith Strut reveals the Bessie Smith Cultural Center didn't keep track of the number of wristbands sold or count the cash collected during the event.
The audit reveals that the center's staff left the uncounted cash in an office drawer overnight and didn't turn on the center's alarm. The next morning the cash was gone and the staff didn't know how much money was actually taken.
The board ordered the independent audit in July after former Bessie Smith employee Torrey Hines admitted to taking about $40,000 in cash, but the center staff estimated $88,000 was missing.
Board Chairman Jeffrey Wilson claimed at a press conference this morning that the audit showed the more than $40,000 in stolen cash was the total amount earned at the June 10 event.
"There's no pot of money missing," he said.
But the audit leaves holes in Wilson's claim. The staff didn't document how many wristbands were purchased at the gates and didn't separate cash earned from beer sales from ticket sales, the audit found.
"Although we can estimate cash on hand of $46,392, the unknown variables could cause this amount to increase or decrease," the audit states.
Wilson blamed the poor management of the cash on the center staff's lack of experience dealing with cash at an event.
This is the third year the Bessie Smith Cultural Center has hosted the Strut, but Wilson couldn't say how the cash was handled the first two years.
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