Chandler woman accused of hoarding dogs charged with fraud

CHANDLER, AZ (AZFamily) — The East Valley woman accused in a high-profile animal cruelty case has been charged with multiple fraud charges, according to the Chandler Police Department.

April Mclaughlin, who also goes by her alias Sydney S. McKinley, is accused of running an animal rescue out of her home that reportedly had dead dogs in the freezer and keeping dozens of others in poor conditions, according to the leader Arizona Humane Society to rescue her.

Authorities now say McLaughlin, who ran SNAWL, the Special Needs Animal Welfare League, deceived dog owners and rescue groups across the country to get animals that needed special care. Police say she misrepresented the availability of veterinary services, therapy and foster homes for the dogs under her care.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell says McLaughlin has since been indicted on multiple charges related to the organization and the alleged financial exploitation of her mother.

“I would like to thank the Chandler Police Department, the case officer, the detectives who worked tirelessly on this case, and the prosecutors in my office who worked diligently with our law enforcement partners to bring these charges,” Mitchell said.

Prosecutors alleged that McLaughlin obtained more than $47,000 under false pretenses, stole more than $160,000 from her mother's bank account and accumulated more than $20,000 on her mother's credit card. Investigators say McLaughlin used the money for personal expenses such as flights, food and maintenance on her home.

Mclaughlin is now charged with multiple offenses including theft, theft from a vulnerable adult, theft of a credit card and unlawful use of a power of attorney.

A news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the downtown Chandler police station. Arizona's Family will livestream the press conference on AZFamily.com and AZFamily's free mobile and streaming TV apps.

Do you see a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a recent news story? Send it to us here with a short description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.