Document text
50 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, November 25, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 15, 2004 Thefts lead to youth sports safeguards The Central Point boys basketball case was just the latest in a series By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune The theft of about $6,000 from their small sports organization almost fouled the basketball season for a group of Central Point boys. The missing money will likely force the Amateur Athletic Union teams to skimp on uniforms. The sixth-, seventh- and eight-graders probably won’t play in as many tournaments and will have to spend more time fund raising. But the deeper hurt came with the realization that the thief was none other than the club’s treasurer, a woman everyone knew and trusted. "I think it kind of shocked all of us," said Tammy Dalton, of Central Point, who serves as the club’s co-treasurer. "We can’t be that trusting ever again." Sandra Bleth, 42, plans to plead guilty to the crime today in Jackson County Circuit Court and hear her sentence. She agreed to pay back more than $2,000 so the basketball teams could start their season. In exchange, the felony charge will be handled as a misdemeanor. Advertisement The case is only the latest in a string of several similar thefts that have caught the youth sports community off guard. Organizations now are putting new safeguards into effect so parents and kids can be assured they won’t forfeit their season. The Central Point AAU basketball club now charges two treasurers with evaluating the bank statements separately and co-signing on checks, Dalton said. All cash is verified by two people, she added. Giving a single person too much responsibility is where most nonprofit groups go wrong, experts say. "These are usually all-volunteer organizations," said Victoria Cox, spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Justice. "If you can find one person with some bookkeeping experience, you feel lucky, but you really need to find at least two." Central Point Little League officials thought they had covered all the bases by requiring prior approval on any checks written for more than $200 from the organization’s account. But the theft of more than $1,000 by two elected officials over the past summer forced the group to institute more controls. "If you don’t have the safeguards in place, it’s easy for the person to put their hand in the till," said Paul Rutter, Little League information coordinator. The theft was handled by Little League board members, and the money was returned without involving police, Rutter said. But the club has since switched banks twice in an effort to install a better accounting system, Rutter said. The organization curtailed cash withdrawals, which were used as a ruse for stocking cash boxes with more change, Rutter said. The Little League now pays its vendors in checks instead of cash, he added. Like many youth sports officials, Bleth and suspects in the Little League theft were parents of young athletes. But where one parent can fail a youth sports club, the involvement of many parents may keep finances on track. Each parent can obtain a copy of payments and expenditures at monthly meetings of the Rogue Valley Soccer Club, said president Mike Dunn. It’s just one strategy that has kept the club theft- free in its 30-year history, Dunn said. The soccer club also splits up funds among several interest-bearing accounts to reduce the risk that a club official will be tempted to help himself or herself to the cash, Dunn said. Any withdrawals must be made by two people appearing in person at the financial institution, he said. Such a policy may have prevented a potential embezzlement from District 6 Little League, which includes local teams from Medford, Ashland, Phoenix, Talent and Eagle Point. Police said former treasurer, 50-year-old Toni Crippen, of Medford, allegedly transferred about $6,000 from the organization’s U.S. Bank account to her own account. She was an employee of U.S. Bank at the time of the alleged transfer — between February 2001 and August 2003, police said. A fellow employee uncovered the transfer. Indicted in September on eight counts of first-degree theft, Crippen has pleaded not guilty. No trial date has been set. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities