Charles County, MD – Detectives assigned to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division have charged a former employee and a volunteer of Lions Camp Merrick, Inc., with fraud crimes in connection with a financial scheme that spanned a year and resulted in the misappropriation of over $36,000.

In May 2024, the Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the leadership of Lions Camp Merrick, Inc.—a non-profit organization that serves the blind, deaf, diabetic, and veterans with PTSD—regarding suspected unauthorized use of the organization’s funds. The concern was initially raised by the newly appointed president of the camp, who discovered a suspicious $6,233.28 transaction to the St. Mary’s County Treasurer during an internal audit. Upon noting the transaction, the president of the camp reached out to the CCSO, who initiated an investigation.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Melissa Funkhouser, age 40, of Ridge, MD, who was hired as a paid employee in May 2023 and had previously volunteered at the camp alongside her husband, Ronald Paul Funkhouser, age 43, had sole access to the camp’s debit card. Detectives identified a total of 70 unauthorized transactions made between May 2023 and May 2024, totaling $36,633.92.

The investigation determined that these funds were used for personal expenses, including car payments and insurance, property taxes, electricity and utility bills, cell phone bills, ATM withdrawals, and various other unauthorized purchases. Ronald Funkhouser, though listed as a volunteer, was found to have participated in the scheme.

On June 20, 2025, a Charles County Grand Jury indicted both Melissa and Ronald Funkhouser on multiple charges, including credit card fraud, identity theft, and other related charges.

Lions Camp Merrick, Inc. is now under new financial management, and the misappropriated funds have been identified and accounted for. The current president of the organization provided full cooperation during the investigation.

Anyone with additional information related to this case is asked to contact Detective Baxley at 301-609-6504.

 

CONTACT: Diane Richardson
Media Relations Office
301-609-6557 or 240-682-1658

The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.

Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple Store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.