(BRYAN, Ohio) — The former executive director of the P.A.T.H. School for Autism, Inc. and the P.A.T.H. Academy for Autism, Ltd. has been sentenced to 90 days in jail after a joint investigation by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, the Bryan Police Department, and the Ohio Department of Education found she stole more than $150,000 from the school.
Bonnie Kimpling, 53, of Chicago, was sentenced for one count of Aggravated Theft, a third-degree felony, in Williams County Common Pleas Court. In addition to jail time, she was sentenced to five years of community control, fined $2,500 and ordered to pay approx. $32,269 in restitution.
Kimpling was also given a 2-year prison term if she fails to meet the terms of her probation.
“This school’s mission was to work alongside parents to educate children facing difficult obstacles, not to get rich off of them,” Yost said. “This thief not only let down kids, she left a hole in this community.”
The P.A.T.H. School was shuttered after Kimpling was terminated and indicted in 2020 for the theft.
Yost’s Charitable Law Section and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, assisted in the investigation. Williams County Prosecutor Katherine Zartman prosecuted Kimpling.
P.A.T.H. Schools was among the nonprofits operating in Ohio whose operations are overseen by the Attorney General’s Office. AG Yost offers several resources and guides for charities, including proper oversight of finances as well as how to report improper actions by a charity.
