Former High School Band Treasurer Ordered to Repay Nearly $40,000 to Avoid Prison for Embezzlement

Krystina Thompson was ordered to repay nearly $40k to Southaven High Band boosters to avoid prison. She faces 10 years of supervision.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 19, 2026, 9:05 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from WLOX

Restitution Agreement Reached in Booster Case

A Southaven woman has reached a legal resolution following a yearlong investigation into the disappearance of funds from a local high school band booster club. Krystina Thompson, who served as the treasurer for the Southaven High School Band’s fundraising efforts, appeared in court on Monday for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to embezzlement. The court confirmed that Thompson would not serve time in a correctional facility, provided she adheres to a strict restitution schedule designed to recover the money intended for student activities and instrument maintenance.

The Timeline of the Financial Misconduct

The criminal activity was traced back to a period between June 2024 and March 2025, during which Thompson held significant authority over the booster club's finances. Investigators discovered that she systematically transferred booster funds into her personal bank account through a series of unauthorized transactions. The total amount missing from the organization’s accounts was calculated at $39,161. The discovery of these discrepancies in early 2025 led to a formal investigation by the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office and Thompson's subsequent arrest in August of that year.

Supervision and Repayment Terms

The sentencing judge balanced the gravity of the theft with the primary goal of making the victimized organization whole. Thompson has been ordered to pay back $32,661 of the total $39,161 stolen. In addition to the financial penalties, she was sentenced to 10 years of post-release supervision. This long-term oversight ensures that she remains under the jurisdiction of the court while she works to fulfill her repayment obligations. Failure to meet these terms or committing further offenses during this period could trigger the suspended prison sentence.