Police called in on theft of museum money

Bellevue police are now involved in the investigation into how at least $200,000 was embezzled from the Bellevue Arts Museum.

Museum officials told supporters last month that the museum's chief financial officer had stolen the money, but they didn't want police investigating while they sorted things out internally and worked with the employee on a restitution plan. They changed their minds last week and filed a police report, according to Bellevue police spokesman Greg Grannis.

Museum officials contacted police and filed a claim notice with their insurance company "to move us closer to resolving this matter and obtaining a full financial recovery for the museum," wrote museum Executive Director Michael Monroe in a letter sent to supporters this week.

The internal investigation may be over before Bellevue police come on board. An outside attorney and forensic accountant hired to look into the museum's accounting controls and policies may be finished with their probe in about two weeks, officials said.

The Bellevue fraud detective assigned to the case is on vacation and busy with other cases and may not get started for a couple of weeks, Grannis said.

It's still unclear how much money was stolen from the museum. Officials originally estimated about $200,000, but the exact amount is now up in the air, said museum Deputy Director Renate Raymond.

According to a Bellevue police report, more than $284,000 was stolen between October 2005 and April 2007. The chief financial officer worked for the museum for two years before resigning last month.

(The Seattle Times is not naming the financial officer because she has not been charged with a crime and has not been publicly identified by the museum.)

Museum officials said this week they've already made several changes to their accounting controls. For instance, they don't allow the acting financial officer to sign checks and they improved the way they record donations, Raymond said.

The museum closed less than four years ago because of weak leadership, low attendance and accounting problems. Since it reopened in June 2005, a new set of leaders has been luring back donors and mounting a new slate of exhibits.

Ashley Bach: 206-464-2567 or abach@seattletimes.com