The former Executive Director of the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority (SRRA), Melissa Slemp Rose, was sentenced to time served plus three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $16,614 in restitution for bank fraud and embezzlement. The funds were intended for the Spearhead Trail System, which operates within several counties in Virginia and the City of Norton.
Rose, 52, from Coeburn, Virginia, had previously pled guilty to one count each of bank fraud and embezzlement. She was initially hired as Sales and Finance Manager for SRRA on July 23, 2019. In October 2021, she was promoted to Executive Director, overseeing daily operations of SRRA and its trail system until her resignation on February 3, 2023.
The court documents reveal that Rose misappropriated SRRA funds for personal use by writing checks totaling $16,614 from SRRA’s bank account. These checks were allegedly signed by another board member and used towards purchasing a residential property valued at $69,500 with a $15,000 down payment. To conceal her actions, Rose logged these transactions in SRRA's QuickBooks as purchases related to trail operations. She also created fraudulent documents using forged signatures.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee emphasized the importance of such prosecutions: “Prosecutions of this nature are important for the public to have confidence in those entrusted to oversee public funds and administer public programs."
The investigation was conducted by the Virginia State Police along with financial fraud investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen prosecuted the case.