HOPEWELL, Va. -- The Hopewell American Legion contacted Virginia State Police to investigate a massive embezzlement.
"Embarrassingly it's quite a bit of money but it was in little bits and pieces over months," says Post 146 Commander Dennis Hubbes.
The retired Army Colonel says months ago he noticed some of the figures with the vendor of the Electronic Pull Tab machines weren't adding up.
"I started to notice in this past year that we were paying them their part but our residual wasn't seeming to build proportionally,” he said.
That's when someone began looking over the books.
"We did a little internal audit and discovered, my goodness," says Hubbes.
Right now, Hubbes believes the amount of money allegedly missing is in the tens of thousands of dollars.
In January 2015, Hubbes says the Hopewell American Legion decided to hire 62-year-old Betsy Noel to serve as Assistant to the Executive Board.
"She came recommended to use for having had office experience," says Hubbes adding "She did seemingly a competent job in the beginning learning our system and so forth".
But when the numbers weren't adding up the Post went looking for help.
"I became aware of it about three or four months ago," says Hopewell Commonwealth's Attorney Rick Newman.
Newman says the Virginia State Police were called in to do the investigation.
Noel is currently out on bond and when reached outside her Hopewell home, declined to comment on the charge or her arrest.
Colonel Hubbes says the American Legion doubts they get any of the alleged embezzled money back, but added that the day Noel was confronted about the alleged money trouble she left the building and never returned, leaving behind her paycheck.
Noel, who has a court appointed attorney is due back in court in December.
