The former treasurer of the Gardiner Elementary PTA faces a felony theft charge after allegedly embezzling about $6,000 from the group between 2015 and the fall of 2017.

Cassie Marrow, 34, of Gardiner, was issued a summons charging her with theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, a charge that is felony because the amount involved exceeds $1,000, according to Gardiner police Chief James Toman.

Toman said the investigation by Detective Sgt. Todd Pilsbury showed that the money was stolen from the PTA, which covers both River View Community and Laura E. Richards schools in Gardiner.

“She misappropriated their funds for her own personal benefit,” Toman said Thursday.

Toman said Marrow was summoned for an initial hearing scheduled for 8:30 a.m. April 9 at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta. The complaint had not reached the court as of Thursday.

He said the case originated with the PTA members.

“Members of the PTA had some concerns with the treasury, and they started to do an internal audit, and some checks and balances and discovered a larger-scale issue than they thought,” Toman said. “Then they turned it over to us.”

Marrow, meanwhile, “has cooperated with our investigation,” the chief said.

No telephone number was available for Marrow, and Toman said he did not know whether a lawyer is representing her.

One woman who had been active with the group on Facebook said Thursday she had no comment on the case.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams