AURORA | The  former top director of an Adams County nonprofit group that advocates for abused and neglected children is accused of bilking the organization out of more than $104,000 in a college tuition scam, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Adams County District Court.

A lengthy Westminster police investigation alleges that Lindsay Marie Salas, 38, the former executive director of CASA of Broomfield and Adams County, stole $110,354.04 and attempted to steal another $56,949 by manipulating tuition reimbursements, according to the affidavit.

The alleged thefts occurred between 2022 and 2025, according to investigators.

A judge this week found probable cause for her arrest, prosecutors from the 17th Judicial District said in a statement.

The allegations stem from an investigation into tuition payments made to the University of Denver for Salas’ MBA program, as well as expenses charged to CASA’s company credit card.

CASA is a Westminster-based nonprofit organization that trains and provides volunteer advocates for at-risk children. CASA has long provided a wide range of services to children across the metro region, including in Aurora.

According to the affidavit, CASA paid $163,081 to the University of Denver between September 2022 and June 2024 based on 10 invoices submitted by Salas for her MBA program.

A private donor agreed to donate money to allow Salas to attend DU for her degree, according to the police investigation.

Investigators compared those invoices with the university’s original records and determined that the actual amount due was $58,225.

Seven invoices had been altered or fabricated, resulting in an alleged overpayment of $104,856, deposited into her personal checking account, the affidavit states. 

Salas completed the MBA program and received her degree on March 22, 2024, university records showed.

The investigation also examined Salas’ use of CASA’s credit card. Investigators identified $5,498.04 in charges they considered unauthorized or fraudulent after comparing original receipts with receipts submitted for the organization’s monthly credit card reconciliations.

One purchase that raised concerns was a $1,195 photography charge on Dec. 23, 2024, the affidavit states. CASA officials told investigators that the purchase was not authorized and that the receipt Salas submitted for reconciliation had been altered to remove a reference indicating the photography session was for a newborn.

A separate allegation involves $56,949 paid to Capella University for reimbursement for a doctoral program in organizational psychology, according to the affidavit.

CASA paid Capella in November 2024 after Salas submitted a request for professional development funding. Salas later told a CASA employee that she planned to pursue a different program, according to emails reviewed by investigators.

Capella declined to refund the money directly to Salas because the original payment came from CASA. The university instead issued a refund to the nonprofit, the affidavit states.

Investigators allege that Salas then sought to have a check signed over to her personally. Messages and emails described in the affidavit show that she instructed an assistant to write her name on the back of the check and obtain board members’ signatures.

The check was later deposited back into CASA’s account on Jan. 29, 2025, according to the investigation.

Investigators concluded that there was probable cause to also charge Salas with attempted theft related to the $56,949 payment.

Salas resigned from CASA in late April 2025, court documents show.

Her salary as CASA CEO for 2024 was $147,243, according to IRS records.

She faces felony charges of theft, attempt to commit theft and filing false tax returns.

Salas is slated to appear in Adams County district court Nov. 9.

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