By Tim Arnett
WABASH,Indiana – We’ve all heard of drug users stealing money to feed their habit. And that is exactly what one Wabash woman admitted to police last month. But what’s surprising is where this particular woman stole the money from. Morgan L. Ritter, 23, Wabash, is accused of stealing money from the Wabash Police Department. And she allegedly told police that she used the money to buy drugs.
Ritter had worked as a cleaning woman as the police department for several weeks before police noticed that money came up missing out of several envelopes officers were using to deposit contributions for hats and to replace a trampoline for Brenton Yarger. Officers then set a trap for the thief, placing more money in an envelope and putting a surveillance camera on the location to try and catch the crook.
On April 24th, officers noticed that the money in the envelopes was gone. They pulled the surveillance video and noticed a familiar face allegedly taking the money. It was the newest cleaning woman Morgan Ritter. At first, Ritter denied any involvement but after Detective John Krhin showed her the video she came clean to both thefts. When police apprehended her on April 24th, she allegedly told them that she had already used some of the money stolen that day to buy drugs.
While in jail, officers recovered $55 in stolen money in a toilet after she asked to go to the bathroom. When caught, Ritter allegedly admitted that the money was some of what she stole ealier in the day from the Police Department.
For her part in the thefts, Ritter faces one count of obstruction of justice as a level 6 felony and three counts of conversion as a class A misdemeanor. But the story doesn’t end there. After Ritter was incarcerated, her mother, Kimberly Ritter, began cleaning Morgan’s things out her house when she came upon four syringes and several small baggies with a white powdery residue inside. The mother also located a charred spoon. Now in addition to the theft-related charges, Morgan Ritter is facing an illegal possession of a syringe as a level 6 felony charge, as well.