(Atlantic) Former Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Director Bailey Smith entered a guilty plea Friday morning.
According to the Cass County Clerk of Court’s Office, Smith pleaded guilty to Count 2 – Theft 1st Degree, and Count 4 – Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card Over $10,000. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 17 at 9:00 AM.
Background:
Smith’s original charges were 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.
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.
The complaint alleges: 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 allegedly 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 is accused of using the 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.
