Ex-Nevada SPCA president faces theft charges

The former president of the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been accused of stealing from the nonprofit.

Kathlene Jung, 49, faces three felony counts of theft, each accusing her of stealing between $650 and $3,500 from the organization, according to a complaint filed by Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford.

Between Feb. 17, 2017, and Jan. 6, 2019, Jung sold a 2000 Ford Explorer that belonged to the nonprofit and kept the proceeds, the document states. It also accuses Jung of using the organization’s debit card for personal use.

Jung first came under scrutiny in March 2019, when Las Vegas attorney and then-board member Tina Walls filed a complaint with the attorney general’s office accusing her of spending shelter funds for personal use.

Jung resigned the following month, with the entire board also resigning after temporarily turning over shelter operations to the Humane Network. A new president and board of directors was announced in September 2019.

“This is part of our past; Ms. Jung has not been part of Nevada SPCA for two years. In those two years, we have worked very hard with a new staff and a new Board of Directors to create a standard of best practices in every department here including our animal care and financial protocols,” Lori Heeren, the new executive director, said in a statement. “We are an organization today of which the community and our donors can be very proud.”

Southern Nevada’s only no-kill shelter also will be moving into a new building in September after 15 years at its same location, Heeren said. The new address will be 5375 Procyon St.

In her complaint to the attorney general, Walls wrote that while reviewing the agency’s financial records after being elected to the board in February 2019, she quickly “became alarmed at the escalating non-animal-related spending.”

Jung said in a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2019 that the complaint “was initiated by a disgruntled former board member.”

“The complaint has no merit and I intend to vigorously defend the accusations,” it said.

Jung, who was arrested March 16, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

“It has been over two years since the allegations against Kathy Jung came to light and it is unfortunate that it took so long for her to be charged,” Walls said in a statement Tuesday. “My hope is that justice is served and restitution is made to the NSPCA and the animals the NSPCA is dedicated to protecting.”

The Nevada SPCA had also filed a lawsuit against Jung, alleging that she refused to give up an AOL email address associated with the organization. Court documents show that the lawsuit was settled in August and “resolved all claims from the Nevada SPCA.”

Court records show that Jung was accused of misusing funds in 2004, when she worked as controller for Budget Rent-A-Car and Sales in Las Vegas. She converted company checks into cashier’s checks, then used the funds to pay off personal loans and credit card bills, according to a criminal complaint charging her with 63 counts of theft.

Jung pleaded guilty in 2005 to a misdemeanor charge of attempted theft and was sentenced to probation, records show. A judge also ordered her to pay $285,000 in restitution.

Her next court date on the new charges is June 14.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE on Twitter.