St. JOSPEH | A 23-year-old woman was charged with felony stealing for allegedly helping herself to Girl Scout Cookie money.

The state charged Stephanie Morris with felony stealing Thursday in a case in which $3,522 was missing from Girl Scout Troop No. 8705 bank account and cookie money. Morris was the local troop leader.

“It's disappointing that we had to file a criminal complaint,” said Gina Garvin, a spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri.

The checks and balances in the Girl Scout Cookie program helped to bring the problem to the forefront, Garvin said.

A probable cause statement filed by a St. Joseph Police Department detective said Morris reported a burglar broke into her apartment and stole $900 worth of Girl Scout Cookie money.

This resulted in a police investigation that found the Troop No. 8705 bank account was emptied between Nov. 14 and Dec. 14. The court document indicated that the defendant confessed that she raises a niece and fell behind in paying bills.

Buchanan County Associate Circuit Judge Ron Taylor will arraign the defendant Tuesday and has set bond at $10,000.