Allegations of tuition reimbursement fraud
Lindsay Marie Salas, 38, who previously led CASA of Broomfield and Adams County as executive director, is accused of taking over $104,000 from the nonprofit by manipulating tuition reimbursements tied to her MBA studies at the University of Denver. An arrest warrant affidavit filed in Adams County District Court states that a Westminster police inquiry determined CASA issued $163,081 to the university across ten invoices Salas submitted between September 2022 and June 2024, while university records put the true amount owed at $58,225. Seven invoices were reportedly altered or fabricated, producing a $104,856 overpayment routed into Salas's personal checking account.[S1]
A private donor had agreed to fund Salas's MBA program, but the investigation revealed that she completed the degree on March 22, 2024, while allegedly inflating the costs. The thefts are said to have occurred between 2022 and 2025. A judge this week found probable cause for her arrest, according to the 17th Judicial District. Salas resigned from CASA in late April 2025, and her 2024 salary as CEO was $147,243, per IRS records.[S1]
Credit card misuse and attempted theft
The investigation also examined Salas's use of CASA's company credit card, identifying $5,498.04 in unauthorized or fraudulent charges after comparing original receipts with those submitted for monthly reconciliations. One notable purchase was a $1,195 photography charge on Dec. 23, 2024, which CASA officials said was not authorized; the receipt Salas submitted had been altered to remove a reference indicating the session was for a newborn, according to the affidavit.[S1]
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In a second allegation, Salas is accused of trying to take $56,949 that CASA paid to Capella University for a doctoral program in organizational psychology. After Salas sought professional development funds, CASA made the November 2024 payment, but she later informed a CASA employee she intended to enroll in a different program. Because CASA, not Salas, had made the payment, Capella refused to refund her and sent the money back to the nonprofit. Investigators say Salas then tried to have the check endorsed to her, telling an assistant to write her name on the back and gather board signatures. The check was deposited into CASA's account on Jan. 29, 2025. Salas faces felony counts of theft, attempted theft, and filing false tax returns, with an Adams County district court appearance set for Nov. 9.[S1][S2]
