05-02-2025
Cadott woman charged with stealing from Boy Scouts, business organization
CHIPPEWA FALLS — A Cadott woman accused of stealing money from the Boy Scouts of America and two business organizations has now been charged.
Nicole R. Ruhe, 43, 27498 100th Ave., was charged Tuesday in Chippewa County Court with three counts of theft in a business setting; all three counts are felonies. Judge Benjamin Lane released Ruhe on a signature bond and set a return court date for March 18.
According to the criminal complaint, Ruhe has served for the Cadott Boys Basketball Association, the Cadott Community Association, and Boy Scout Troop 65 of Cadott. She is accused of accessing and taking funds from each organization.
'Nicole was interviewed multiple times and admitted to taking/using two of the three organizations' money and failing to return it,' the criminal complaint reads. 'Nicole only admitted to money that was able to be proven missing/unaccounted for with her responsibility as the treasurer.'
The basketball organization found $5,159.00 unaccounted for.
'They also found bank ledgers that had been provided by Nicole that had been changed in an attempt to mislead the (basketball organization) on the actual amounts the CBBA had in their account during meetings,' the complaint reads.
Investigators then learned Ruhe was active in the Boy Scouts.
'From reviewing the troop's bank account and known profitable activities, it was found $4,095.03 was unaccounted for and other fundraising profits had never been documented submitted into the troop's account,' the complaint reads. 'Nicole was questioned again on the missing money to which no specific reasoning or answers were given for much of the unaccounted-for money or other profits.'
The CCA also suspected Ruhe, who was treasurer, was stealing money.
'The CCA suspected anywhere from $4,000-$9,000 was unaccounted for based on their knowledge and findings,' the complaint reads. 'From reviewing The CCA's account information and records there were similar behaviors observed in Nicole's record keeping and submission of funds to their bank that were also observed with the CBBO and BSAs. Nicole's records submitted to the CCA were found to differ $2,486.25 to $10,995.92 from 2022-2023 from that of the CCA's bank records showed.'
The officers met with Ruhe and reviewed the ledgers she kept.
'Nicole indicated her using the money was (due to) falling on hard times and being out of work from her heart surgery for six months and only getting half her normal wage,' the complaint reads.
