The former treasurer of the Breed Sportsmans Club accused of stealing thousands of dollars has pleaded no contest and received probation for two counts of theft in a business setting.
Robin Strehlow, 65, of Suring, reached a plea agreement with Oconto County District Attorney Hannah Schuchart where she was sentenced on two counts of theft of less than $2,500, both misdemeanors. Her original felony charge involving amounts between $10,000 and $100,000 carried a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $25,000.
Instead, Strehlow was sentenced to five days in jail, but the penalty was withheld by Oconto County Judge Michael Judge as long as she follows the terms of her probation, which includes no drinking and no gambling at casinos and bars.
The thefts reportedly dated back to between Aug. 1, 2020, and March 1, 2022.
According to the criminal complaint:
Jeff Tienor, the president of the club, told authorities that Strehlow admitted stealing around $17,000 to pay medical bills, but he suspected the amount was higher.
Tienor told the Oconto County Sheriff’s Office he first became aware of the club’s financial problems on Jan. 27, 2022, when an individual who was part of the “deer dumpster” program informed him that he hadn’t received a payment for the dumpster rentals.
Tienor said when he asked Strehlow about it, she insisted she had mailed a check to Lee Lake Disposal, but would check into the issue. But a few days later, Tienor was told by the business that payment still hadn’t arrived.
On Feb. 9, 2022, Tienor heard a complaint from a banquet facility that a check they were given to pay for the club’s banquet meal had been returned as “no funds available.”
Tienor told authorities that Strehlow had informed the club during their January meeting that they had $4,639.72 in their checking account and $10,003.32 in their savings account. However, when he subsequently went to NEW Credit Union to check into the issue, he was told the checking account showed a zero balance while the savings account had $14.28.
An examination of bank records indicate that Strehlow used the club’s ATM card to make 31 unauthorized withdrawals from their checking account and 21 withdrawals from the saving account. Additionally, Strehlow wrote checks payable to herself and her husband, made payments for her personal cell phone and transferred money from the club’s bank account into her own personal account for a combined amount of $14,767.44.
The sheriff’s investigator said “unaccounted for funds” involved money raised from the 2021 Breed Fisheree and 2021 Fourth of July Celebration, while transfers into her personal bank account totaled $11,302.
Tienor said after he confronted Strehlow, he received $17,000 from the Strehlows for the amount she said was her total embezzlement, but said he wanted to continue to pursue criminal charges for the rest of the money that he believes was stolen from the club’s bank accounts.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Former treasurer of Breed Sportsmans Club sentenced to probation for theft of $17,000
Reporting by Kevin Dittman, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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