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Scout Leader Charged With Stealing Girls' IDs

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By MELISSA NELSON, The Associated Press

Published: September 5, 2007

PENSACOLA - A Girl Scout leader accused of stealing her scouts' Social Security numbers and netting $87,000 in a tax scheme pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday.
Federal prosecutors say Holly M. Barnes, 33, asked parents of the 18 girls in her troop to give the children's numbers on a fake medical release.

She used the e-mail names Freewoman74 and Hotmama983 to enter the numbers of the scouts, most of whom were ages 8 through 12, and other false W-2 information into Turbo Tax software, the 34-count indictment states. She filed false claims for more than $187,000 and obtained payments of more than $87,000, according to the indictment.

Barnes did not make a statement after entering her plea. Public defender Randall Lockhart did not return a call seeking comment later Tuesday.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Miles Davis allowed Barnes to remain free on bail if two computers were removed from her home. Davis also ordered Barnes, a mother of four, to stop coaching a local soccer team and undergo a mental health assessment.

Lisa Higgins, director of The Girl Scouts of Northwest Florida, said Barnes was relieved of her volunteer Pea Ridge troop leader post in November when the organization learned of the investigation.

Davis set a Nov. 5 trial on the charges, including 19 counts of filing false Internal Revenue Service claims and 15 counts of identity theft.

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