Between 2017 and June 2020, the couple executed a scheme to defraud at least $239,000 from the South Meck booster club by writing . N.B. The Justice Department says he used that money to cover his and his wife's tracks. Charlotte couple sentenced for stealing over $230K from South Both Anthony Sharper and his wife, Deana Sharper, are charged with wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The couple face decades behind bars, and more than $1 million in fines. At the time of the Sharpers indictments, booster club co-president Kriss Anne Carlstrom said the couple resigned from the clubs board in 2020, and that a series of irregular transactions were discovered and reported to the clubs bank. Starting a Student Athletic Council in Your School, Booster Club Embezzlement: Legal Issues, Preventive Strategies. They are very nice people, Young said. Lee Green is an attorney and a professor at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas, where he teaches courses in sports law, business law and constitutional law. This has had a detrimental impact on our student-athletes. If the judge settles on a smaller amount, it could lessen Anthony Sharpers punishment. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent another $25,000 to pay down the outstanding balance on the booster club credit card. Require two signatures on every check cut to pay a vendor, two endorsements for every withdrawal from or change to a clubs bank account and a For Deposit Only stamp to be placed on every received check by someone different than the person who will process the check. He previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution, engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property and tax fraud. Multiple news outlets report the club was at South Mecklenburg High. As alleged the indictment, to cover up the theft and to enrich himself, between March and May 2020, Anthony Sharper submitted three fraudulent applications for federal COVID-19 relief funds, including two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications, one in the name of the Booster Club and one in the name of his accounting firm, A. Panthers reach consensus on No. . The indictment also states that Anthony Sharper committed tax fraud by failing to report any of the embezzled funds on the couples joint 2018 and 2019 tax returns filed with the IRS. 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Husband, wife indicted for stealing $200K from Charlotte high school athletics booster, Coroner IDs victim in deadly crash with golf cart, Woman facing DUI charges, Charlotte auto shop owner sentenced to prison for falsifying emisson inspections, Rowan man charged with kidnapping ex-girlfriend, demanding ransom, Lives are in danger as N.C. nursing home inspections lag, North Carolina obscenity bill gets OK in Senate vote, PLAN AHEAD: Latest Weather Forecast Video, INDICTMENT against Anthony and Deana Sharper. The husband was also sentenced after he tried to cover up the theft with fraudulently obtaining $236,000 in COVID-19 relief money, according to Dena J. The president of a Charlotte high school booster club and his wife were indicted on federal charges for stealing more than $200,000 from the organization and fraudulently obtaining COVID-19. 6 British Castles Where You Can Stay Like Royalty on a Commoners Budget, Five On Your Side: Ways to get better wifi for under $250, Farmers markets in North Carolina: Fresh produce, baked goods and more, UNC allergy expert gives tips to help you deal with the pollen season, The 25 most memorable moments in Carolina Hurricanes history, Pick-your-own: Where to find strawberry farms in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, Eric Marion: We want to change the perception when facing Pinecrest, Highlights: Union Pines baseball stuns Pinecrest with come from behind victory, Nick Stevens discusses impact of new participation data & what's next, Tommy Harrington: We feel like we've got three No. She has led newsrooms at KUNC in Greely, CO, Rhode Island Public Radio in Providence, RI and WHQR in Wilmington, NC. Responsible for all aspects of the clubs bookkeeping and banking, including the deposit of cash receipts from fundraising events, before her sentencing she returned $49,000 of the stolen monies, delivered to authorities in pillowcases stuffed with cash. North Carolina couple convicted of COVID aid fraud and embezzling more Rotation of duties is another of the most effective strategies for eliminating the opportunity to embezzle. Investigators claim that between March and May 2020, Anthony Sharper submitted three fraudulent applications for COVID-19 relief funds, including two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. Prosecutors say Anthony and Deana Sharper slowly took charge of the clubs finances and leeched its accounts for years. RELATED: He lost $7,000 in a phone scam, and it could have been stopped before it went too far. Woman sentenced in South Carolina booster club embezzlement case by: Sophia Radebaugh. Copyright 2021 WBTV. In a response to the allegations, the South Meck Sports Boosters release this statement to WCNC Charlotte: Following the resignation of both Anthony and Deana Sharper from the Booster's Board last year, irregular transactions were identified and brought to the attention of our bank representative. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Soccer - Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk News, Scores A Charlotte couple has been indicted on federal charges of embezzling more than $200,000 from the booster club of a Charlotte high school. INGRAHAM: THE SHOCKING ABUSE OF COVID AIDS. A Charlotte couple is accused of stealing $200,000 from a high school booster club and using COVID-19-relief business loans to cover their crime, federal authorities said. In order to break the fraud triangle and minimize the chances of embezzlement by a school official or club officer, booster organizations should consider implementing some basic guidelines and procedures: Do not allow one person to handle all of a clubs financial processes. As those philanthropic efforts begin, school administrators and booster club officials need to develop and implement proactive strategies to prevent what has become a problem of increasing dimension nationwide: the misappropriation of club funds by the very individuals entrusted with the moral and fiduciary duties of ensuring that all monies raised are used exclusively to support the education-oriented mission of those organizations. Sharper CPA, PLLC, and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of his CPA firm. Anthony Sharper previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution, engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, and tax fraud. They gradually gained influence and control over the booster clubs affairs to the point that by 2019, they were the only authorized signatories on the checking account. Booster club boards should, as one of their key functions, create annual budgets and as a group reconcile those budgets on a quarterly or annual basis to closely monitor the in-flow and out-flow of club funds. Relevance is automatically assessed so some headlines not qualifying as Dnipro news might appear - please feel free to contact us regarding any . Subsequently, the organization was contacted by law enforcement and cooperated fully with their investigation. Deana Sharper will go first. Much of the rest, he used for unlawful business or personal expenses, prosecutors say, including almost $20,000 to buy a 2019 Honda Civic. The indictment alleges the couple spent tens of thousands of dollars on car payments, Hornets tickets, fine dining, travel, personal shopping in big-box retailers and clothing stores, and made $20,000 in cash and ATM withdrawals. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. After receiving the loan proceeds, Anthony Sharper used the funds to pay for personal expenditures and to cover up the couples theft of the Booster Clubs funds. Ensure that all federal, state and local legal mandates regarding the operation of booster clubs are being followed, including IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit registration requirements, IRS 501(c)(3) tax return filing mandates, state statutes governing nonprofit incorporation and record-keeping rules, state laws specifically regulating booster clubs and parent-teacher organizations, state agency rules addressing sales and use tax permits, state board of education or state activity association requirements for booster clubs, and school district governance mandates for clubs. After receiving the loan proceeds, Anthony Sharper, 42, used the funds to pay for personal expenditures and to cover up the couple's theft from the Mecklenburg High School Athletic booster club, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The Justice Department says all three applications contained false revenue and payroll information. The indictment further alleges that Anthony Sharper, who is a certified public accountant, also committed tax fraud by failing to report any of the embezzled funds on the couples joint 2018 and 2019 tax returns filed with the IRS. [5][6], The airport is at an elevation of 481 feet (147m) above mean sea level. Rationalization:Fraudsters typically rationalize to justify their dishonest actions as somehow not being in violation of normative codes of ethical conduct, often by adopting a mindset that they are only borrowing the money, that they will soon repay any diverted funds, that they are taking such a small amount that no one will be harmed, that they have to steal because of financial pressures beyond their control, that their thievery will only be temporary and will end as soon as their financial pressures subside, that they are being dishonest only because they desire to better support their families, or that they are entitled to the money because of their hard work for the organization. Lets not totally place blame on people until we know whats going on. Couple Sentenced After Stealing $239K from South Meck High's Booster Club Anthony Sharper is also charged with tax fraud for failing to report any of the embezzled funds on the couple's joint tax returns in 2018 and 2019. Both defendants were released on bond and will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving their sentence upon designation of a federal facility. According to South Mecklenburg High School Sports Boosters, following the resignation of Anthony and Deana Sharper from the Boosters board, irregular transactions were identified and brought to the attention of our bank representative.. Also read: Couple convicted after stealing $239,000 from South Meck High's booster club. Charlotte couple embezzled from school booster club, feds say On 24 February 2022, Ukraine closed airspace to civilian flights due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He was also ordered to pay out more than$310,000. CHARLOTTE A Charlotte couple was sentenced Monday after they stole $239,000 from a high school's booster club. A former treasurer of the Wheatland (California) High School booster club turned herself in after being accused of stealing more than $15,000 from the organization and in the process emptying the account that was to be used to grant multiple college scholarships to students. This has resulted in a number of management problems and has slowed the airfield's development as Dniproavia has, on a number of occasions, refused to be forthcoming with the required funds to undertake a comprehensive modernization program. A North Carolina couple was jailed this week for embezzling $239,000 from a Charlotte high school's booster club. Anthony Sharper, a certified public accountant, is also accused of creating fake financial documents and submitting them to the Booster Club board members, claiming the account had more than $150,000 in it when it actually had $522. A Santa Paula (California) High School band booster club official pleaded guilty to stealing $22,000 and was sentenced to one year in jail followed by five years of probation. Anthony Sharper previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution, engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, and tax fraud. The Acting U.S. Attorney General said 39-year-old Anthony Sharper has been charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $236,000 in COVID-19 relief fund to cover up the theft. 2023 Cox Media Group. As a result of the fraudulent applications, Anthony Sharper obtained more than $236,000 in COVID-19 relief funds intended for existing businesses harmed by the coronavirus pandemic. Couple who embezzled high school booster club to plead guilty Detectives said Sharper submitted these applications to cover up the theft and for personal gain. South Meck High boosters stole $200K and used COVID loans to cover tracks, feds say, Feds say Charlotte man took $88K from Wells Fargo vault, then flashed cash on Facebook, NC man pleads guilty to giving fentanyl to his 16-year-old girlfriend, killing her, North Carolinas divorce law is clearly an outlier. Click here to sign up for the daily Wake Up Charlotte newsletter. 57 likes. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In addition to this, foreign airlines have found it difficult to gain access to Dnipro as a result of Dniproavia's protectionist policies along routes to and from the airport. Financial Pressure:When combined with opportunity, some type of financial burden real or perceived is a common incentive for committing fraud. Court documents also show that Anthony Sharper, a certified public accountant, also committed tax fraud by failing to report any embezzled funds on the couple's joint 2018 and 2019 tax returns. His plea hearing had not been scheduled as of Thursday. The husband's sentence included him obtaining over $236,000 in COVID-19 relief funds to cover the theft. In Oklahoma, a number of other people have been accused and convicted of embezzling from booster clubs. var field59 = field59 || {}; According to a federal indictment, the Sharpers wrote more than $100,000 in checks from the Booster Club Account to themselves, often with false notations for reimbursements. How we got here, what's new and why they face resistance, Islanders extend series with Game 5 win over Canes, Young? + Caption. The indictment says the charges were tracked to Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Virginia and London, England. Details, Posted October 25, 2022 11:59 a.m. EDTUpdated October 25, 2022 1:30 p.m. EDT. According to court filings, Deana Sharper is pleading straight up to the wire fraud charge, meaning she has not received any inducements from prosecutors in return for her guilty plea. What punishment the Sharpers face remains unclear. In May, Parker was given to a 5 . He is a member of the High School Today Publications Committee. CHARLOTTE, N.C. The president of a Charlotte high school booster club and his wife were indicted on federal charges for stealing more than $200,000 from the organization and fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief loans to cover up the crime, the United States Department of Justice announced Wednesday. A former treasurer of the Kimberly (Wisconsin) High School athletics booster club pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $60,000 and was sentenced to 60 days in jail followed by two years of probation. Ensure that appropriate accounting and record-keeping procedures are in place and being adhered to and that all computer files containing the clubs corporate book and financial records are backed up so that they do not exist merely on one club officials computer. They also used clubs credit and debit cards to run up thousands of dollars in personal expenses in six states as well as during a trip to London, the indictment shows. [11], Media related to Dnipropetrovsk International Airport at Wikimedia Commons. Example video title will go here for this video. The husband was also sentenced after he tried to cover up the theft with. Opportunity can sway the otherwise honest and policies allowing opportunity create a zone of temptation for the person who might not have under other circumstances devised and carried out an embezzlement scheme. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A husband and wife pair was sentenced to prison Monday for stealing more than $239,000 from a Charlotte high school booster club, according to U.S. Distric Carlstrom did not respond to an Observer email Thursday seeking comment. According to the indictment, all three applications contained false information, including fake revenues and fake payroll and employment data. Purchase fidelity bond insurance with adequate coverage limits to protect against losses from embezzlement. April 20, 2020. CHARLOTTE On Tuesday, a man accused of embezzling more than $200,000 from a Charlotte high schools booster club pleaded not guilty to the charges. Both defendants were released on bond and will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving their sentence upon designation of a federal facility. WRAL: NC married couple sentenced to prison for embezzling from high Christopher Young, a Washington attorney representing Anthony Sharper, confirmed some of the details of his clients new plea agreement with prosecutors but otherwise did not comment. He has been an editor and reporter at the paper since 1992, occasionally writing about schools, religion, politics and sports. Yet often, the stolen monies cannot be replaced, resulting in students being deprived of benefits such as the opportunity to travel to compete or perform; to be provided with equipment, instruments or other resources beyond those which the school can afford; to secure financial assistance to mitigate pay-to-participate fees; to receive booster club-provided college scholarships; or to obtain any of the extensive variety of other badly needed forms of support that would have been made possible by the club funds that were stolen. The husband's sentence included him obtaining over $236,000 in COVID-19 relief funds to cover the theft. Published: Dec. 8, 2021 at 4:06 PM PST. Annual passenger traffic at DNK airport. Deana Sharpers attorney, Robert Corbett III of Charlotte, did not respond to an Observer email Thursday seeking comment. The funds were intended for existing businesses harmed by the coronavirus pandemic. UNION COUNTY, N.C. A former high school booster club treasurer was arrested Wednesday on an embezzlement charge, the Union County Sheriff's . Typical monetary pressures asserted by embezzlers as the reason for their wrongdoing include excessive debt, financial difficulties paying personal bills, excessive credit card obligations resulting from living beyond their means, monetary challenges while going through a divorce or a family financial crisis, or simple greed for an enhanced lifestyle. Anthony Sharper was originally indicted on eight counts and pleaded not guilty in June. He is also charged with fraudulently obtaining over $236,000 in COVID-19 relief funds to cover up the theft. The Alamogordo Daily News reports Albert "Vincent" Flores Jr. was sentenced last week and ordered to pay $10,388.60 in restitution . The husband was also sentenced after he tried to cover up the theft with fraudulently . According to filed court documents, between 2017 and June 2020, Anthony Sharper and Deana Sharper executed a scheme to defraud and embezzle at least $239,000 from South Meck high school Athletic Booster Club by writing checks to themselves for purported reimbursement, wiring funds directly to their personal bank account, and using the Booster Clubs debit cards and credit card to pay for personal expenditures. The club, she said, cooperated fully with the resulting investigation, which included the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. postal authorities. In 2020, Anthony Sharper filed for federal pandemic-related economic relief for both the booster club and his own accounting firm. Anthony, who is a certified public accountant, is also accused of falsely applying for paycheck protection funds. Deana Sharper pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Posted: Nov 19, 2020 / 06:33 AM EST. Couple sentenced after stealing $239K from South Meck HS booster club. This has had a detrimental impact on our student-athletes. He was also ordered to pay out more than$310,000. He was also ordered to pay a money judgement of $310,832.80. Updated May 20, 2021 12:14 PM A former booster club president and his wife, who served as the concession stand and school store coordinator, at South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte,. Many of the high-dollar cases of embezzlement involving booster clubs are perpetrated by someone who has uninterrupted control over club finances for a multi-year period of time, thereby facilitating an ongoing theft because of the absence of checks and balances on that persons autonomy. In recent years, dozens of cases annually have been reported of embezzlement by booster club officials, usually volunteers such as parents or community members who were perceived to be trustworthy and reliable before committing their betrayals of the young people they were pledged to serve. South Meck High School Booster Club. For instance, oftentimes, a sole booster club official is entrusted with the organizations entire financial process, including the deposit of cash into bank accounts, the issuance of checks to vendors and the reconciliation of all transactions in the clubs books. The former treasurer of the Strawberry Plains (Tennessee) Carter High School athletics booster club pleaded guilty to embezzling $33,000 from the organization and was sentenced to four years of probation. The following are 10 of the more than 30 cases of booster club embezzlement that have been litigated or reported in just the last year: A former school clerk for the Perrysburg (Ohio) Schools was sentenced to 10 years in prison for embezzling over a five-year period more than $800,000 from the high school athletics booster club and from the school monies he used to support a lavish lifestyle that included a large house, luxury cars, a motorhome, a luxury suite at Ohio State football games, and even gifts to the schools sports program a new football stadium scoreboard and baseball facility sound system donated using some of the very funds he had stolen from the program and school. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. (WATCH BELOW: Messed up: Couple accused of strealing $200K from South Meck HS booster club), Messed up: Couple accused of stealing $200K from South Meck HS booster club. | Opinion, This is the most expensive neighborhood in NC and what it costs to own a home there, Live updates from NASCAR race at Dover: Martin Truex Jr. wins, holds off Ross Chastain, Bad weather postpones NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover. The indictment shows that after receiving the loan proceeds, Anthony Sharper used the funds to pay for personal expenditures and to cover up the couples theft of the Booster Clubs funds. After receiving the loan proceeds, Anthony Sharper, 42, used the funds to pay for personal expenditures and to cover up the couple's theft from the Mecklenburg High School Athletic booster club, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Division of labor is one of the most effective strategies for eliminating the opportunity to steal. Cash controls are of paramount importance in reducing the opportunity to steal; when cash is received, two people should count it and reconciliation paperwork should be signed by each. He was also ordered to pay $310,832. He didnt comment on the case after the couple was charged but urged everyone to keep an open mind. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 60 Couple Sentenced After Stealing $239K from South Meck High's Booster Club October 25, 2022 WCCB Staff CHARLOTTE, N.C. (From Press Release) The former president of a Charlotte high school Booster Club and his wife were sentenced to prison Monday for stealing more than $239,000 from the organization. 1 pitchers, Mayson Dear: I knew this could be my last home game ever, NCHSAA commissioner addresses problems at basketball regionals. 2023 Cox Media Group. The funds were intended for existing businesses damaged by the coronavirus pandemic. Court documents show that, Anthony Sharper, who is a certified public accountant, also committed tax fraud by failing to report any of the embezzled funds on the couples joint 2018 and 2019 tax returns filed with the IRS. That's when they discovered that Yannaki had transferred . According to the indictment, the offenses occurred between 2017 and June 2020. One of the applications was in the name of the booster club and the other was in the name of his accounting firm, A. They are very nice people and as the legal process runs its course, everybody will find out more.. Deana Sharper pleaded guilty to wire fraud. A couple was jailed Monday for stealing over $200,000 in funds from South Mecklenburg High School's Athletic Booster Club in Charlotte. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. WAXHAW, N.C. (WBTV) - A former high school booster club treasurer has been arrested in Union County on an embezzlement charge, according to the Union County Sheriff's Office. Deana Sharper was ordered to serve 21 months in prison with two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $239,742.
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