Former Iowa State employee charged with theft of university money
Pamela Backstrom, a former Iowa State employee, has been charged with first degree theft of a sum of $68,000.
February 4, 2017
Authorities charged a former Iowa State employee with theft of over $68,000 in non-profit funds.
The Story County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged Pamela Backstrom, 56, with first degree theft and ongoing criminal conduct.
Backstrom is accused of taking university money from the Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation (QNDE) Programs account. She worked in the research center from August 2013 to January 2016.
The Iowa State Police Department found that $71,000 of funds from the QNDE account not supported by the university were spent. Backstrom is being held responsible for $68,000 of that money.
On Feb. 9, 2016, Iowa State police searched Backstrom’s home retrieving ATM receipts and bank statements, the Ames Tribune reported.
Backstrom is currently being held in Story County jail with a bond set at $75,000. The investigation started after Backstrom’s resignation in January of 2016.
