President of Orange Park non-profit cheerleading club accused of funneling funds from group

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — In a newly obtained warrant and report, Action News Jax has learned that the president of a local cheerleading club has been arrested and charged for stealing funds from the company she helped establish.

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The arrest warrant states that between Jul. 28, 2021 and Jul. 1, 2023, Amanda Beth Herndon used company funds for her own use and gain, “depriving the company of the right to the funds. The defendant used the account as if it were her personal bank account.”

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The not-for-profit organization that Herndon helped start is called Crush Cheerleading. In June 2021, Herndon and two other individuals established the cheerleading club. The organization is described as a non-profit for girls aged 18 years or younger, funded by parents and guardians.

On their website, Crush Recreational Competitive Cheerleading serves Orange Park and the surrounding communities such as Jacksonville, Oakleaf, Middleburg, Fleming Island and Clay and Duval Counties.

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Funds that were donated were intended to be used for uniforms, practice uniforms, cheerleading equipment, gym purchases/rental, competition and hotel fees and private training classes.

“In June 2021, the defendant (Herndon) opened a VyStar checking, and savings account for Crush Cheerleading,” the warrant reads. “The defendant is the only one who had access to the account.”

The warrant also states that the two other reporting parties associated with Crush Cheerleading (who will not be named in this story based on privacy), were not given access to the account and could not monitor the funds going in or out of the account.

It was in July of 2023 that the two other parties involved in the cheerleading club became suspicious of Herndon after they received a Facebook message that she was profiting from Crush Cheerleading.

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After both partners were added to the Crush Cheerleading bank account through their insistence, they reviewed bank statements and discovered personal transactions dating back to 2021. That financial spending was said to never have been related to Crush Cheerleading.

On Jul. 6, 2023, both partners reported what they found to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

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Herndon was arrested on Sat., Sept. 2 and was charged with grand theft of $20,000 or more, less than $100,000. Her bail was set at $50,000.

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