A Marietta woman and business owner, Stacey Ann Johnson, 48, was arrested on Friday on a grand theft charge following the execution of two search warrants by the Marietta Police Department with assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The warrants were served for Stacey’s Dance Studio, located at 205 Pike St., and Johnson’s residence at 631 Sixth St.
The arrest stemmed from complaints made by a group of parents of nine students at the dance studio who had paid for costumes and other fees for their children to participate in three dance competitions in the spring of 2024. Johnson had collected over $10,695 from the parents but later informed them that the studio would not be performing at the competitions as planned. She mentioned that refunds from one organization would be given while fees for the other two organizations would be applied to 2025.
After one parent discovered that the studio had not registered for the 2024 competitions, suspicions arose, leading to further investigation by the police. Some parents received partial refunds in mid-May, while others received nothing at all. Marietta Police are urging anyone who believes they may have been a victim of fraud or theft by Stacey’s Dance Studio to contact Detective A.J. Linscott at 740-376-2007 ext. 1319.
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