Docs: Daycare employee used company cards in $10,000+ of fraudulent transactions

LADOGA, Ind. –An employee with the Fuzzy Bear Ministry Preschool and Daycare in Ladoga reportedly used the company’s debit and credit cards for more than $10,000 in fraudulent transactions at multiple locations.

According to court documents recently filed in Montgomery County, Aurora Dawson was charged with:

• Nine counts of theft, where the value of the property was between $750 and $50,000, each a Level 6 felony
• 12 misdemeanor counts of theft

The charges come after officials with the daycare posted on social media that they were closing. On Oct. 7, a letter from the daycare was posted stating that the board and staff of the Fuzzy Bear Ministry Preschool and Daycare decided to close the school on Oct. 17.

“This isn’t easy to say,” the letter, signed by Darsey Gardner, the acting director of the Fuzzy Bear Ministry Preschool and Daycare, read. “Over the years, we’ve grown alongside many of your families. We’ve celebrated milestones, shared laughs and supported each other through challenges. We will miss seeing your children every day, their smiles, their curiosity and the joy they bring to our facility.

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for trusting us with your children and for being part of the Fuzzy Bear family,” the letter continued. “We will always cherish the memories, friendships and connections we’ve built with your families.”

The court documents said that the first report of a theft came on Sept. 18 from the daycare’s board. A representative alleged that there was a “long series of thefts from a position of trust committed by daycare employee Aurora Dawson.”

Dawson worked for the daycare for six years and was put in charge of the daycare’s finances in May 2024.

The documents state that a board member for the daycare began looking through financial records after she received a memo requesting money for snacks for the daycare. In the past, the board members stated that Fuzzy Bear provided snacks for the children without charge.

After a review of the financial records, the board member told police that there were “numerous apparent irregularities,” including the purchases of items “of no use to a daycare” at multiple locations. There were also reported withdrawals from a bank account associated with the daycare.

The transactions included more than $850 in transactions from a Crawfordsvile Walmart and more than $4,100 in Amazon transactions, including items like:

• Computer desk
• Pack of solar eclipse glasses
• Outdoor lounging chairs
• Cat food
• Incense sticks
• Cooler

As the investigation continued, law enforcement also found that Dawson used daycare funds to pay for car repairs, utilities at her Ladoga home and multiple cash withdrawals.

Dawson also allegedly made more than $2,170 in transactions at Home Depot using the daycare’s credit card for items delivered to her home, including:

• A washer
• Bed frame
• Mattress
• Batroom faucet

In total, Dawson reportedly had more than $10,000 in fraudulent transactions using cards from the daycare.

Law enforcement officials reached out to Dawson via phone. At one point, when they eventually made contact with her, the documents said that they told her that the daycare had made a report to the sheriff’s office in regards to the misuse of Fuzzy Bear’s money.

When asked if she would come to the office and talk about it, Dawson reportedly said that she needed to make some calls, possibly to a lawyer. The documents said that Dawson did not call the officials back by the time the affidavit was written.

According to court documents, Dawson’s bond was set at $3,000 in cash on Friday.