A Canadian County youth nonprofit is under a harsh spotlight after the woman who ran the Boys and Girls Club of Darlington was arrested last week. Investigators with the Canadian County Sheriff's Office say she siphoned more than $52,000 from the chapter over roughly two years, from August 2023 through August 2025, largely through personal charges on a club debit card. The arrest has parents and volunteers wondering how the finances of a small after-school program went unchecked for so long.
According to KOKH, Melissa Tsotaddle was arrested and charged with one count of embezzlement and one count of violating an Oklahoma computer statute. The station reports that a Boys and Girls Club board member spotted financial irregularities in September 2025, which triggered the investigation by the Canadian County Sheriff's Office.
What investigators say
Probable-cause paperwork described by KOKH ties dozens of alleged personal transactions to club accounts. Investigators say those include roughly $25,607.87 in Walmart purchases, about $8,365 in Cash App transactions and more than $3,200 in utility bill payments. "Ms. Tsotaddle was accused of embezzling about $52,000," Maj. Adam Flowers told the station.
Club ties to school and community
The Boys and Girls Club of Darlington operates its after-school programs in close partnership with Darlington Public School, with district documents showing local staff and the club's on-campus presence in the school handbook. A nonprofit directory listing identifies the chapter as an El Reno area affiliate, underscoring that it is a small, locally run operation that leans heavily on community donations and volunteer help to keep the lights on.
Why small clubs are vulnerable
Smaller nonprofits often run with skeletal staff and little separation of financial duties, which can make them soft targets for insider abuse. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners' 2024 report found nonprofits suffer median fraud losses in the tens of thousands of dollars and highlighted weak internal controls and limited fraud training as common culprits. Those systemic weaknesses are the same issues investigators routinely point to when they dig into suspected misuse at local charities.
Legal next steps
Tsotaddle was booked into the Canadian County jail and now faces state charges that could bring prison time if prosecutors prove the case in court. County authorities and prosecutors are expected to move the case through the local court system while investigators continue combing through the Boys and Girls Club's financial records.
For more detailed documentation and reporting on the arrest and investigation, see KOKH, the Darlington Public School handbook, the club's CauseIQ listing and the ACFE report on nonprofit fraud trends.
