MUSEUM'S EX-SECRETARY INDICTED EMBEZZLEMENT OF $42,000 ALLEGED

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 2, 1993                   TAG: 9303020059
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
MUSEUM'S EX-SECRETARY INDICTED EMBEZZLEMENT OF $42,000 ALLEGED
The former secretary at a Roanoke museum was charged Monday with writing $42,000 in checks to herself from an account for the Henry Street Festival.
Norma Underwood, who worked for the Harrison Museum of African American Culture, was accused of embezzlement in an indictment returned by a grand jury in Roanoke Circuit Court.
She is accused of writing dozens of checks - some of them for as much as $3,000 - to herself, forging the signatures of two museum officials and cashing them.
Authorities said the scheme, which lasted from September 1992 until last month, netted at least $42,000 before it was discovered.
It was unclear Monday how someone could embezzle so much money - nearly a third of the museum's budget in fiscal 1990-91 - without being detected earlier.
"We've been advised not to make any comments until the investigation is over," said Melody Stovall, executive director of the museum.
Freeland Pendleton, a member of the museum's board of directors and a bank official who worked with police during the investigation, also declined to comment.
Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell said an investigation began after museum officials became suspicious and contacted authorities.
Underwood, whose age and address were not available Monday, no longer works for the museum. She had performed secretarial and bookkeeping duties that gave her access to an account set up for the annual Henry Street Festival.
The festival, organized by the Harrison museum, showcases the diversity of African-American culture through the performing arts, Afrocentric arts and crafts, children's activities and ethnic and traditional foods. It is held on First Street Northwest - once Henry Street - which formerly was the hub of black social and commercial life in Roanoke.
The third annual festival was held last September - about the time that the alleged embezzlement began.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB