The woman charged with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the PTA and school foundation at E. Rivers Elementary School in Buckhead was released from jail Tuesday night.
Earlier in the day, Maryam Arjomand, 48, had appeared before a Fulton County judge and been granted a $40,000 signature bond.
Arjomand has been charged with felony theft by taking for allegedly stealing $57,000 in donor checks and deposits over a three-year period, said Sgt. Paul Cooper, head of the Atlanta Police major fraud unit. Her next court appearance is May 8.
Arjomand was a member of the E. Rivers PTA. Investigators allege she would pick up donations in person, then deposit them into her personal bank account, Cooper said. Police believe she acted alone. She was booked into the Fulton County Jail Monday morning after turning herself in.
Police have turned the case over to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office.
Arjomand's attorney, Steven Weiner, said after the hearing that his client had already paid back more than $54,000. "We don't know how much more there is; we don't think there's very much, but we will continue to work on it," Weiner said. "We will continue to work with authorities to reach the best resolution."
PTA Co-President Elise Lowry alerted Atlanta police to the missing money on March 7, according to an incident report obtained by the AJC. Lowry reported that an account audit by the PTA discovered missing check payments from Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.
Lowry told police that she confirmed checks in excess of $20,000 were deposited into a bank account at Signature Bank, and that a person suspected in the theft worked at the bank, according to the incident report.
Attorney Steven Dunlevie, a spokesman for Signature Bank, said Arjomand worked at the bank from March 1, 2005 to April 9, 2012. He said her position was director of sales and marketing when she left the bank. Dunlevie, with the Womble Carlyle firm, would not comment on why Arjomand left.
Molly Epstein, a parent and PTA spokeswoman at the school at 8 Peachtree Battle Ave., had little to say about the arrest of Arjomand. "We are aware that an arrest has been made and will continue to work with authorities, investigators and our donors to account for all missing funds and ensure they are recovered," she said. "Because the investigation is ongoing, we have no other comments at this time."
Weiner said Arjomand had never been in any legal trouble and that she wants to reach the best possible resolution with the PTA.
"Somebody who was as involved in the school as she was, I think she realizes that she had a lot of mending of fences to do with people because she was well loved and respected around the school," he said.
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