(Atlantic) Former Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Director Bailey Smith has entered a written arraignment and plea of not guilty.
Smith has been charged with ongoing criminal conduct – unlawful activity, fraudulent practice in the first degree, theft in the first degree, and unauthorized use of a credit card over $10,000.
According to court records, Smith has also waived the right to a speedy trial.
Smith resigned from the Chamber on September 15. She turned herself in to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on October 8, where she was released on bond.
Between January 2020 and August 2025, Smith made 761 personal transactions with Chamber funds totaling $26,913.22, of which $6,632.38 was admitted by Smith. She was charged with Theft in the First Degree for misappropriating over $10,000.
Smith also orchestrated a scheme from November 2022 to August 2025, making 47 fraudulent transfers between Chamber bank accounts to cover up her theft. This amounted to $76,215, leading to charges of Fraudulent Practice in the First Degree and Ongoing Criminal Conduct.
Additionally, Smith used Chamber-issued credit cards for approximately $25,065.71 in personal expenses, with $6,632.38 acknowledged by her in a letter to the Chamber Board. She was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card over $10,000.
