LANSING — A Webberville woman who was charged with embezzling money from a youth athletic league has been sentenced to jail and probation.
Tiffany West, 39, pleaded no contest in May to a felony charge of embezzlement of more than $20,000 by an agent or trustee. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the original charge of embezzlement of $50,000 to $99,999, a maximum 15-year felony, court records indicate.
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, Ingham County Circuit Judge Wanda Stokes sentenced West to three years’ probation, with 180 days in jail and 240 hours of community service, the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office said. West will get one day credit on her jail sentence. She was ordered to pay restitution of nearly $63,595. The sentence was in line with a sentencing agreement.
West was accused of embezzling money from the Webberville Junior Athletic Association between 2019 and 2025, the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office said in a Feb. 25 news release. The case was investigated by the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office.
MORE: Former Ionia Township treasurer pleads to stealing $700K public money
Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth acknowledged last fall that a former treasurer of the organization was the focus of an investigation into the loss of at least $20,000. The WJAA sponsors youth sports in the Webbervile area, including baseball, football, basketball, T-ball and soccer, according to the organization’s website.
The alleged embezzlement involved hundreds of unauthorized transactions, Wriggelsworth said at the time. It came to light when the suspect “self-disclosed” to other members of the group’s board, he said.
West was the group’s treaurer. She was accused of using association funds for unauthorized personal purchases, the sheriff’s office said.
A no-contest plea is not a formal admission of guilty but is treated as a conviction.
Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on X @KBPalm_lsj
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Webberville woman sentenced for embezzling from youth sports league
Reporting by Ken Palmer, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ken Palmer, Lansing State Journal | USA TODAY Network
