A well-known assistant football coach for a California high school was scheduled to begin his 10-month sentence during the week of June 18 after he was found guilty of grand theft by embezzlement. According to the report, he was sentenced to electronic monitoring instead of a 10-month jail sentence.

Investigators stated that the assistant coach, who also worked as a loan officer, requested that borrowers make out a check for $400. They were to leave the payee line blank and he would fill out the remaining information once an appraisal company was selected. However, he ultimately put his own name on the line and deposited the check into his bank account.

Sources state that his employer later discovered this information and fired him in January 2013. He was taken into police custody in August of the same year and ultimately pleaded guilty in November 2013 to multiple charges. He allegedly told the authorities that he took the money in order to help his struggling family. In exchange for his plea, the prosecution dropped 25 additional charges that had been filed against him.

In addition to the 10 months of electronic monitoring, the assistant coach was also sentenced to three years of probation. He has also agreed to reimburse the stolen money by June 24. At the time that the report was released, he had already repaid half of the money that was owed.

Those who are charged with embezzlement may face serious consequences if they are convicted. However, an attorney may be able to assist their client in negotiating a plea bargain that may reduce the severity of the penalties. In this case, for example, the man agreed to repay the stolen money by a certain date and avoided a jail sentence in exchange for electronic monitoring.

Source: The Sacramento Bee, "Buhach football coach guilty of embezzlement begins sentence", Rob Parsons, June 18, 2014