The former president of a nonprofit Lawrence arts organization has been convicted of stealing money from the group.

Jurors were at the ready Wednesday morning in Douglas County District Court to hear the case against Amanda L. Monaghan, 36, originally charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing more than $1,000 from the Lawrence Art Guild in April 2014.

However, Monaghan entered a last-minute plea of no contest to a misdemeanor theft charge, Judge Kay Huff convicted her and her trial was called off.

“We do have a jury waiting, and we’ve had them waiting while you consider this,” Huff told Monaghan prior to accepting her plea. “By entering this plea, you are giving up your right to a jury trial.”

Monaghan’s sentencing was scheduled for Monday to give Lawrence Art Guild representatives time to prepare a statement to share with the court, Huff said. Huff said she intended to order Monaghan to repay $1,125 in restitution as part of her sentence.

A representative of the Art Guild who attended Wednesday morning’s hearing declined to comment immediately afterward.

Monaghan, formerly of Lawrence, is currently living in Shawnee County, prosecutor Deb Moody said.

As Lawrence Art Guild president, Monaghan had access to the organization’s bank account, including a bank card for her use, Moody said. In April 2014, that bank card was used to make a payment of $1,125 for Monaghan’s daughter’s Lawrence Arts Center preschool tuition, and evidence indicated Monaghan made the payment, Moody said.

The Lawrence Art Guild, a nonprofit organization, is known for organizing long-running local events, including Art in the Park and the Holiday Art Fair.

At Monaghan’s preliminary hearing in August 2017, a Lawrence police detective said Art Guild representatives reported to police in February 2016 that the organization’s debit cards and bank accounts had been used for personal gain of board members, specifically Monaghan, who was the Art Guild’s president from 2013 until late 2015.

Art Guild members dismissed Monaghan and treasurer Pablo Cerca from the organization in January 2016, the Journal-World previously reported.

Members accused leadership, notably Monaghan, of violating bylaws, including failing to hold regular meetings and communicate with members. Members also said they’d discovered missing treasurer’s reports and meeting minutes, an increased use of debit cards, suspicious PayPal purchases and regular and unaccounted-for withdrawals from the guild’s bank account during Monaghan’s leadership.

Just before the meeting where she was removed from office, Monaghan filed an amendment to the Kansas secretary of state’s office dissolving the Lawrence Art Guild, the Journal-World reported. However, the organization was reinstated in good standing with the state and the IRS in the following weeks.

There are no charges against Cerca in Douglas County District Court.