An Ansonia woman accused of stealing $21,000 from a school’s Parent Teacher Organization appeared in front of a judge for the tenth time Thursday — and was promptly told to come back next month for visit number 11.
At this point in the case there is a sense of familiarity between the defendant, Kelly Kahyaoglu, 49, and prosecutor Amy Bepko and Judge Frank Iannotti, both of whom joked about their inability to pronounce Kahyaoglu’s last name as her case was called in Superior Court in Milford. Kahyaoglu smiled knowingly.
Kahyaoglu, once the president of the Prendergast School’s PTO, was arrested in June 2013 after a 17-month investigation into missing money by Ansonia detectives.
Authorities allege Kahyaoglu took advantage of the PTO’s complete lack of financial controls and stole the money for her personal use. She purchased everything from clothes from Lane Bryant to pool supplies, according to an arrest warrant.
She also took out about $9,000 in cash using the PTO’s debit card, racking up $150 in ATM fees, police alleged.
Kahyaoglu pleaded guilty to first-degree larceny in April, and faces up to three years in prison.
But, her lawyer, David Egan, filed a motion to withdraw the guilty plea.
Egan said his client qualifies for accelerated rehabilitation (often called “A.R.”), a special form of probation that could see the crime erased from her record, assuming she stays out of trouble for a certain period of time and complies with an assortment of court orders.
A.R. is commonly given to non-violent first-time offenders.
Egan said Kahyaoglu had an A.R. application pending at the time of the guilty plea, but didn’t have enough money at that moment to pay back the full $21,000.
Egan said the guilty plea was made with the understanding should could apply for A.R. if she came up with $21,000 before the formal sentencing date.
She now has all the money, Egan said.
“We had filed a motion for accelerated rehabilitation previously. We want to withdraw the guilty plea because the motion for A.R. was pending at the time,” Egan said. “It is our contention that at the time of the change of plea, the judge indicated, on the record, that he would reconsider that motion should she be in the position to make full restitution, which we are.”
The prosecution is objecting to Egan’s motion to withdraw the guilty plea.
Bepko, the assistant state’s attorney, requested more time to review Egan’s paperwork.
Kahyaoglu is scheduled to appear in court again Thursday, Oct. 23.
