Lydia Hemmings, wife of state Sen. Fred Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Hawai'i Kai), has been indicted on charges of stealing funds from a charity she headed in 2005.

She is accused of stealing money from Blueprint for Change, a nonprofit dedicated to improving child welfare in Hawai'i, in May, August and October of 2005.

The three-count indictment was obtained by the state attorney general's office.

The indictment said each count of second-degree theft wasn't discovered until May 2006.

Speaking for his wife, Fred Hemmings said financial issues at Blueprint for Change "were gone over completely several years ago and were resolved after two audits."

"I'm very perplexed that this has happened now," he said of the criminal charges.

"Indictments like this don't just come out of the blue without somebody going to the attorney general's office and complaining," Hemmings said.

Lydia Hemmings is in the process of finding an attorney to defend herself, the senator said.

Blueprint for Change operates a statewide network of "family strengthening centers" called Neighborhood Places, according to information filed with the state.

The walk-in facilities provide assistance to people who are at risk for child abuse and neglect.

Lydia Hemmings was executive director through 2006, receiving an annual salary of $52,538, according to the nonprofit organization's tax return for that year.

The organization received $1.4 million in government grants in 2006. That figure dropped to about $1 million in 2007, the last year for which tax returns are available.

According to a charitable organization registration filed with the attorney general's office, Blueprint for Change received $930,000 in contributions in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008, and spent $854,682 on program services.