Daniela G. Larsen, 51, the former executive director of Lehi's Hutchings Museum, faces six felony charges for allegedly stealing approximately $292,000 in museum funds. According to court documents cited by ABC4 in a report published September 30, the allegations involve misappropriated funds spanning a five-year period.
Larsen, of Saratoga Springs, was charged on Tuesday, Sept. 29, with several offenses, including unlawful dealing of property by a fiduciary, communications fraud, theft over $5,000, two counts of unlawful use of a financial card over $5,000, and unlawful possession of a financial card. The first five charges are second-degree felonies, while the sixth is a third-degree felony.
A forensic accountant determined that Larsen misappropriated approximately $292,062.70 from the museum between January 2019 and January 2024. While Larsen was hired as executive director in 2018 to oversee operations, marketing, grant writing, and financial management, court documents state she was not authorized to incur debt or open bank accounts in the museum's name. However, in July 2019, she allegedly opened an unauthorized account under the name "The John Hutchings Museum," which is not the institution's legal name, KSL reported.
Court documents allege that Larsen used both the unauthorized account and the museum's legitimate account to spend $276,779.80 on personal items. These purchases included food delivery, auto insurance, utility bills, phone bills, retail stores, and audiobooks.
Additionally, board members informed the Lehi Police Department that Larsen allegedly claimed trips to Louisiana, Moab, and Wellington were business-related. She reportedly spent at least $15,232.90 on these trips without reimbursing the museum for the expenses.
The museum's board terminated Larsen in December 2023 following the discovery of personal spending on museum accounts. Larsen has been involved in previous legal issues, including a May 2024 arrest for allegedly removing museum property, such as a refrigerator and four benches, from the old train museum. Those charges were dismissed without prejudice in February 2025 after the prosecution requested a continuance due to witness issues.
The case is currently pending in the 4th District Court. No arraignment date has been set and Larsen is not currently in custody, though a warrant for her arrest has been proposed but not confirmed as issued.
