National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) official charged with felony

December 13, 2012

The executive administrator for the Wood River Valley chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness has been charged with a credit-card-related felony in Boise.

Carla Jean Young, 51, was scheduled for an initial court appearance Tuesday in Ada County Magistrate Court on a felony charge of fraudulent possession of a financial transaction card. According to Ada County Sheriff’s Office records, she was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 5, and released later that day after posting $20,000 bond.

The arrest followed a warrant issued on Oct. 12, stemming from an investigation by the Boise Police Department.

A news release on the Boise police website provides the following information regarding the case against Young: “The arrest warrant stems from an ongoing investigation into the use of a credit card to defraud a local business of funds starting in 2010. Evidence indicates the suspect, who was an employee at the time, obtained the credit card through fraudulent means and used it to obtain more than $10,000 worth of goods and services over the past few years.”

Boise police spokesman Charles McClure declined on Monday to identify the employer from whom Young allegedly took the card.

Wendy Norbom, executive director of NAMI-Wood River Valley, provided the following written statement to the Express on Thursday, Dec. 6, regarding the charge against Young: “Mrs. Young made us aware of the charge against her. The only comment we have at this time is that anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

NAMI-Wood River Valley announced on Nov. 5 the hiring of Young as the chapter’s executive administrator, serving out of the nonprofit organization’s office in Hailey. Prior to that, Young was employed as office manager for the Boise chapter of NAMI.

According to Ada County online court records, available through the Idaho Supreme Court website, Young had a prior felony conviction in 1995, when she pleaded guilty to a charge of “grand theft by unauthorized control.” Records state that Young in that year was given a suspended five-year prison sentence and placed on probation for five years.

Source: Terry Smith, "NAMI official charged with felony," Idaho Mountain Express, December 12, 2012.