Spray Rodeo secretary pleads guilty to theft

SPRAY — Joann Pearl Griffith of Spray must pay back more than $6,800 she stole from a cemetery and Spray Rodeo Association.

Griffith, 81, former secretary of the rodeo, pleaded guilty on April 27 to two counts of second-degree theft and five counts of first-degree theft, according to circuit court records.

The Wheeler County District Attorney’s Office in February charged her with fives counts of first-degree theft; two counts of second-degree theft; 27 counts of computer crime; and one of fraudulent use of a credit card. The state accused Griffith of stealing from the rodeo and the Haystack Cemetery Association from early 2015 through July 2017.

The state dismissed the credit card fraud and computer crime charges in exchange for the plea deal. Griffith has to serve two years of probation and no prison time. She also must pay the rodeo $3,171.96 and the cemetery $3,671.26.

The court also ordered her to write letters of apology to each organization and banned her from attending this year’s Spray Rodeo.

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