A former Mentone Youth League treasurer pleaded guilty to theft charges Monday.
Michael G. Fincher, 35, 6502 E. CR 700N, Rochester, entered a guilty plea to one county of theft, a class D felony, according to the Mentone Police Department. The plea follows his arrest by Mentone officers October 9, 2013, on a warrant for five D-felony counts of theft, after which he was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail.
Mentone police were approached by members of the Mentone Youth League board Sept. 16, 2013, who said after reviewing their banking statements they found $50,000 had been inappropriately spent from their account for personal items not related to the youth league, according to the release from Mentone police.
With further cooperation from Mentone Youth League board members, police investigated the 2012 and 2013 finances which ended in the warrants and arrest of Fincher, youth league treasurer at the time, for theft of the money.
Under the terms of the guilty plea entered by Fincher, he was sentenced to 1-1/2 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. The sentence was suspended and Fincher was placed on formal probation with the Kosciusko County Probation Department.
Fincher also agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $17,000 within seven days of sentencing, according to mentone police. The Mentone Youth League still has the right to seek additional restitution for the charged and uncharged misconduct by Fincher in a civil action.
The Mentone Youth League board plans to do an independent audit of its account to get a more accurate dollar amount of the missing money, so that they can ask the courts for restitution from Fincher, police say.
(Story By The Times Union)
