Former Country Club Manager Charged After Alleged $95,000 Theft

Prosecutors in Southeast District Court formally charged 59 year old Shawn Patrick Taft on November 10 with felony theft of property and unauthorized use of identifying information, alleging he took more than $95,000 from the Jamestown Country Club between 2019 and 2024. Court records summarized in local reporting say investigators identified dozens of transactions tied to Taft's personal account, including checks, credit card payments and gift certificate redemptions. At the time of the report Taft had not been arrested and an arraignment was pending.

The alleged loss totals to roughly $95,000 over a six year span, an amount that averages about $15,833 per year or roughly $1,319 per month. For a local country club that relies on member fees and event revenue to cover maintenance, payroll and capital expenses, that scale of alleged misappropriation can strain budgets and force difficult choices about services and dues. The court filing therefore has immediate financial implications for club leadership and members who will be seeking clarity about the club's balance sheet and next steps.

Taft served as Jamestown High School boys golf coach until earlier in 2025, a role that connects the case to the broader school community. Even though the criminal allegations concern conduct at the country club, the overlap of coaching and club employment could complicate community trust and prompt questions from parents, students and school administrators about background checks and oversight for volunteer or paid school related positions.

The investigators described a variety of transaction types tied to Taft's personal account, a pattern that highlights common internal control weak points. Experts in nonprofit and small business finance emphasize that gaps in separation of duties, lax reconciliation procedures and inadequate gift certificate tracking often allow irregularities to persist for years. The community now faces practical choices about whether the club will pursue a formal audit, demand restitution through civil court and strengthen financial controls going forward.

Legal proceedings in Southeast District Court will determine whether prosecutors can prove the allegations. For local residents the case serves as a prompt to review safeguards at membership organizations and to ask elected trustees or club boards for transparent reporting. Beyond the immediate legal outcome, the situation underscores how financial stewardship and governance matter in small community institutions that serve both recreational and school related functions in Stutsman County.