A former Wyoming county planner has been federally charged with wire fraud after investigators accused her of diverting nearly $130,000 from planning-related nonprofits.
Megan Bryn Nelms, 41, formerly worked as the Natrona County senior planner, according to Oil City News.
An FBI agent’s affidavit accuses Nelms of using access connected to a treasurer role to divert money from the Wyoming Planning Association and its regional counterpart, The Western Planner.
The charge is an allegation. Nelms is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The Case Centers On A Treasurer Role
Oil City News reported that Nelms was charged federally on June 8 with wire fraud. The accusation is tied to planning organizations, not to a land-use decision or county planning case.
The FBI affidavit cited by the outlet says nearly $130,000 was diverted from a state nonprofit and a regional nonprofit. The organizations were connected to planners in Wyoming and across the wider Western region.
Public planning records show Nelms previously held treasurer roles in the same professional planning network. The Western Planner wrote in a 2015–2016 board update that Nelms would assume the Western Planning Resources treasurer role, and a 2022 Wyoming Planning Association annual letter listed her as treasurer.
A Missing-Money Discovery Led To The Allegation
Oil City News reported that a planning organization’s secretary discovered a major problem with the organization’s bank funds last summer.
The federal allegation says the missing money was not a bookkeeping mistake. Investigators accuse Nelms of using access connected to her treasurer role to move money away from the nonprofit organizations.
The report did not describe every transfer or list each date of the alleged transactions. Based on the information released so far, the verified accusation is that nearly $130,000 was diverted through conduct charged as wire fraud.
Wire Fraud Puts The Case In Federal Court
Wire fraud cases generally center on an alleged scheme to obtain money or property through false or fraudulent conduct using electronic communications or financial systems.
Prosecutors would have to prove the charge in court or resolve the case through a plea. The public reporting does not state that Nelms has been convicted.
Future court filings may show more detail about the alleged transfers, the affected nonprofit accounts, and any restitution prosecutors may seek if the case ends in a conviction or plea.
Volunteer Nonprofits Need More Than One Set Of Eyes On Money
The case involves professional planning organizations, but the money-control issue applies to any volunteer nonprofit, civic group, booster club, homeowners association, church committee, or professional association that relies on one person to manage bank access.
Groups should avoid giving one officer full control over deposits, withdrawals, transfers, payment apps, debit cards, checks, accounting records, and monthly statements. At minimum, someone outside the treasurer role should review bank statements, reconcile accounts, and compare payments with board-approved expenses.
Warning signs include missing statements, delayed financial reports, unexplained transfers, personal payment accounts mixed with organization funds, repeated excuses about access, and a treasurer who resists basic review.
Board members should preserve bank statements, meeting minutes, receipts, payment records, emails, accounting files, and access logs if money appears to be missing. A nonprofit that suspects theft should contact its bank quickly, restrict account access, notify its board, and speak with law enforcement or legal counsel before records disappear.
