A past treasurer of the Goodrich Sports Boosters, suspected of embezzling about $50,000 from the group’s account has provided the club a check for $24,000, repaying some of the missing money.
Sgt. Joe Parks of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department says the suspect, Tonya Ann Yannaki, 46, gave the check to Ken Tucker, her attorney, on Tuesday during a preliminary examination.
‘That $24,000 should completely square things with the booster club,? said Parks. ‘She did the right thing, but she is still criminally responsible. If you steal $50,000 and put it back you’re still responsible. She (Yannaki) used that money for purposes other than what it was intended. She’s not off the hook for $51,000. This may help if a plea deal is considered.?
The $24,000 cashier’s check along with other payments over the past few weeks equals the amount the Goodrich Boosters said was missing from the club’s coffers.
Yannaki faces felony charges of embezzlement, after she confessed to taking the money between October 2005 and September 2007. Parks said that when Boosters President Chrys Tangney asked for a financial report, Yannaki stopped going to the meetings and could not produce a report. The missing money was then reported to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department on Oct. 1. The sports boosters are the volunteers who help raise money for Goodrich High School sports including hockey, football and cheerleading, or any sports group in the school.
Tangney said the boosters did not previously require two signatures on checks written from the account, and have since changed their ways of accounting to safeguard against any future problems.
Parks added that an investigation of Yannaki indicated that she allegedly transferred thousands of dollars of booster money to her personal bank account.
‘She would move some money in and then take it back out over a period of about a year,? added Parks.
Members of the Goodrich Sports Boosters responded to the repaid money.
‘We attended the preliminary exam on Tuesday, however it was adjourned, nothing happened,’said Karen Geml, Goodrich Sports Boosters vice-president. ‘However, we knew they had a check for us when we were in court, but they said we probably would not get the check that day. About an hour later I got the call from Tonya’s attorney and he asked to meet me him in Davison. He handed me the check for $24,000 saying, ‘I don’t want to see any of the kids get hurt by this.??
Al Martus, Goodrich High School Athletic Director, was pleased after hearing of the return of the money.
‘We are very relieved to get all of this hard-earned money back for our boosters club.?
Yannaki faces embezzlement of over $20,000, a 10-year felony, plus fines of $25,000, or three times the amount stolen. Staff Writer Rebecca Kelley contributed to this story.