POLK COUNTY, Iowa — The former President and CEO of the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce has admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from the organization and to altering records in an effort to cover up her crimes.

Melisa Cox, 47, appeared in a Polk County criminal courtroom Wednesday afternoon, where she withdrew her not guilty plea to nearly a dozen felony charges. Instead, she took action on a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to four felony counts in exchange for the rest of the charges to be dropped. She also agreed to pay restitution and not seek a deferred judgment, which means the conviction will remain on her record, according to the Polk County Attorney’s Office.

“I used property and money that was not mine in excess of $10,000,” she admitted to Judge David M. Porter.

Cox, of Johnston, is accused of stealing more than $250,000 in 2023 and 2024. She was dismissed from the organization in November 2024 after an internal audit found alleged financial irregularities. In a statement issued to WHO 13 at the time, a representative for the Chamber said the organization had insurance to “help cover these types of occurrences.”

Cox surrendered in January after she was charged. She entered a not guilty plea in February, before she accepted the deal offered by the state.

At one point during the nearly 20-minute-long hearing Wednesday, Cox became emotional and dabbed away tears as she spoke about her crimes. She admitted that she used thousands of dollars in Chamber money to pay for personal expenses and property without permission and did not intend to pay it back. She also stated that she altered financial entries to conceal and disguise how the money was spent.

“I altered records, corporate records, to hide what I had done,” she said.

The plea deal encompassed three Class C Felonies of Money Laundering, First-Degree Theft, and Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card, as well as a charge of Second-Degree theft, which is a Class D Felony. Class C felonies can carry up to a 10-year sentence and thousands of dollars in fines. Class D Felonies can carry a sentence of up to five years, plus fines.

Cox testified that she had no other charges pending against her anywhere in the U.S. and that she has been undergoing therapy.

A pre-sentence investigation will now be conducted, with Cox sitting down with investigators with the Department of Correctional Services to discuss her crimes. During the sentencing hearing, the findings will be presented and the state will make its recommendation, while the defense will have a chance to make its own argument.

The judge could sentence her up to 35 years in prison if the charges run consecutively, or up to ten years if concurrently. Cox will be sentenced on June 16 at 2 p.m.

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