Marietta business owner arrested for grand larceny | News, Sports, Jobs

A Marietta woman and business owner was arrested Friday for grand larceny.

The Marietta Police Department, with assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, executed two search warrants on Friday that led to the arrest of local business owner Stacey Ann Johnson, 48, on charges of fourth-degree grand larceny, according to an MPD press release.

The search warrants were issued for the business “Stacey’s Dance Studio” at 205 Pike Street and for the apartment of the owner Johnson at 631 Sixth Street.

On May 7, an MPD detective was approached by a group of parents of nine students at the studio who said they had paid for costumes and numerous other fees in late 2023/early 2024 for their children to participate in three dance competitions in spring 2024, the press release said.

In total, she raised at least $10,695 from parents, the press release said. In mid-April, Johnson met with a group of parents and told them that they would not be appearing in the three competitions in 2024, the press release said.

According to the press release, Johnson told them that one of the three organizations would refund their money, while the other two organizations would not refund the fees but would carry them over until 2025.

One of the parents, suspecting this, called the competition organizations and learned that Stacey’s dance studio had never registered for the 2024 competitions, which the detective confirmed, the press release said.

By mid-May, some parents had received a partial refund, but many others had received nothing at all, the press release said.

Marietta Police are asking anyone who may have been a victim of suspected fraud or theft by Stacey’s Dance Studio to contact Detective AJ Linscott at 740-376-2007, extension 1319.