Mother of teen fatal hit-and-run victim Gavin Knupp faces multiple embezzlement charges
Tiffany Knupp, the mother of 14-year-old fatal hit-and-run victim Gavin Knupp, has been charged with nine counts of theft and embezzlement, five of them felonies, and faces an Aug. 16 court date, according to Maryland court records.
Here's what we know so far.
Report: Thefts involve stealing from the foundation in Gavin's name
The charges filed against Tiffany Knupp are related to alleged thefts from the foundation she founded to commemorate her son’s life and from a local restaurant, according to a story in the Baltimore Banner.
According to Maryland court records, Knupp faces the following charges:
Three counts of embezzle/misappropriate, all misdemeanors
Five counts of theft $1,500 to under $25,000, all felonies
One count of theft $100 to under $1,500
According to the Baltimore Banner, prosecutors allege that in 2023 Tiffany Knupp stole a total of $12,625 from the Gavin Knupp Foundation and Ocean City’s Shaka Pool Bar and Grill, which held a fundraiser for the foundation, and allegedly used the funds to pay a divorce attorney.
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The foundation had raised over $47,000 as of February 2023, according to its website, and donated just over $8,000, per the Baltimore Banner.
Tiffany and Raymond Knupp went through a divorce and had a “rather strained relationship,” court documents said, according to the Baltimore Banner.
On her Facebook page, Tiffany Knupp posted a statement from her attorney, Thomas Maronick Jr., proclaiming her innocence.
'These charges are complete bogus, based on distortions of the truth or blatant inaccuracies and we will fight these charges to their core," the statement included.
According to the mission statement on its website, the Gavin Knupp Foundation was created to:
"The Gavin Knupp Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to honor the life of our beloved 14 year old boy whose life was tragically ended in a hit and run incident. The Foundation’s purpose is to give back to the youth in our community that Gavin was such a huge part of. Gavin was an avid skater, surfer, hunter, and fisherman. Gavin’s smile lit up every room he entered, and he truly left an impact on everybody he met!
"Our goals are to donate to the local surf club and create scholarship opportunities for those in our community. The Foundation is also looking to sponsor local kids so they can pursue their passions the way Gavin did – FULL THROTTLE!"
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What happened in the crash that killed Gavin Knupp?
According to Maryland State Police, at about 10:45 p.m. on July 11, 2022, Gavin Knupp was crossing the street at Grays Corner Road in Berlin last year to return to a passenger car when he was struck and killed by a vehicle. The vehicle then fled the scene.
A week later, police found the black Mercedes that was suspected to have been the car involved in the hit and run, and the damages on the car matched evidence left at the scene and suspected damages consistent with the crash. But the investigation into the person operating the Mercedes at the time of the incident continued until charges were filed last week.
A total of 17 charges were filed against Tyler Mailloux, 22, in connection to the hit and run that killed the 14-year old. The charges include failure to immediately stop vehicle at scene of accident involving bodily injury and failing to immediately stop vehicle at scene of accident involving death, among others.
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This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Mother of teen fatal hit-and-run victim Gavin Knupp charged with theft