Former Ankeny Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Melisa Cox is in custody, facing multiple felony charges.
Ankeny Police say they were notified in November of 2024 by a board member of the Chamber of Commerce that money had been stolen from their organization. It was alleged that the 47-year-old Cox had stolen the money using a credit card that had been issued to her as part of her employment.
An investigation determined that over $250,000 had been stolen by Cox over almost three years.
Cox turned herself in at the Ankeny Police Department, where she was arrested and taken to the Polk County Jail. She's facing charges of Theft, Money Laundering, Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card, and Fraudulent Practice in the 2nd degree.
