By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The now former treasurer of an organization for youth sports has been accused of misappropriating funds that were kept in the Morton bank where she worked.
Sarah J. Erskine, 34, handled the money for the Morton Athletic Association, for “gosh, several years,” the group’s president Chad Cramer said.
Cramer went to Morton Police Chief Dan Mortensen in mid-May after he and other members who had been scrutinizing the records for several months suspected the treasurer had been dipping into the accounts for about two years.
“No, she’s not still treasurer,” Cramer said today.
The association historically has organized, run or financially supported various non-school based activities from T-Ball and Babe Ruth Baseball to basketball, football and cheerleading, according to Cramer. Mostly for children younger than middle school age, he said.
He called it a 40-year-old institution that’s always been run by adults who are friends, kind of on handshakes an agreements.
“It appeared to Cramer that Erskine was taking money from different accounts and then making an effort to replace that money,” court documents state. “Cramer told Mortensen he believed Erskine got in too deep and couldn’t pay all the money back.”
The amount in question is alleged to be upwards of $12,000.
The investigation by the Morton Police Department began on May 13 and concluded on June 20.
“I will make the point Sarah did pay the money back that was remaining, immediately upon everything coming to light,” Cramer said this afternoon.
Court documents confirm that by mid-June, the accounts were replenished and shortages repaid by her family. Many personal friends also helped her pay some of it back, according to court documents.
Cramer said in court documents Erskine was a teller at Sterling Savings Bank but was fired recently because of the issue. The bank only confirmed she no longer is employed there.
A charge of first-degree theft has been filed in Lewis County Superior Court. Erskine has not been arrested, but summonsed to appear before a judge on July 19.
The case comes on the heels of another local misuse of a fund meant for young people operated by a group of parents.
A 43-year-old Chehalis man was charged this spring with helping himself to some $8,000 from an account run by in part by his wife for the W.F. West High School senior class.
Robert N. Downs Jr. was charged with first-degree theft and 14 counts of forgery, as he allegedly signed his wife’s name to checks written out to himself. When Chehalis police announced their findings in March, they indicated that Downs’ wife had replaced the missing money after she learned of the losses.
Downs has pleaded not guilty but is scheduled to appear in court on July 24 to change his plea. Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said today he offered him a deal in which he could go to prison for one year and one day.
In Erskine’s case, she met with the police chief voluntarily in May, cried, said she was prepared to finish paying the final $3,000 remaining and that she’d “just gotten caught up in everything,” according to court documents.
Sterling Bank held four accounts for the Morton Athletic Association. It appeared Erskine had generated a debit card for her own use, court documents state.
Court documents state her mother-in-law went to the police chief last month and payed the last of debt. “Sarah told her she used the money to pay personal bills,” the documents state.
Cramer provided the police chief records highlighting the withdrawals he did not think were costs incurred by the association. They included expenditures at Bailey’s IGA, Wal-Mart, the Shell gas station in Morton, Big 5 Sporting Goods and Centralia Factory Outlets, according to the court documents.
Attempts to reach Erskine for comment were unsuccessful.
Cramer suggested he bore some responsibility for the situation going undetected. He said the MAA board has been in transition, with many of the long term participants stepping down as their children had grown up, including Erskine.
“Which is maybe why this wasn’t being watched as closely as it should have,” he said.
He couldn’t think of any ways it has affected the youth involved, but is mainly concerned about preserving the group’s integrity.
The association is in the final stages of a lengthy process of combining into a new organization with similar groups from the Randle and farther east areas, he said. It’s called the Morton-White Pass Athletic Association.
“We’ve just got our board and our bylaws,” he said.
Cramer said they’ve put out the word the public is welcome to their board meetings and to ask questions. The next one is July 19.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Well as far as I am concerned Mrs. Erskine should be charged just as the Knapp, and Downs cases. The Erskine family act as “IF” and obviously they are far from as “IF.” They are not as to do as they appear, there for things are not always as society would like them to be. Theft is just that, “THEFT”. Just because Chad Cramer is trying to be light with Erskine, and this situation, because they are friends doesn’t mean she should get any special treatment or a slap on the hand. She needs to be charged with first degree theft, or/and embezzlement. And I am glad the bank fired her. She is obviously not to be trusted. It seems to me that more and more so called “up standing citizens” are getting careless with their, um, what would it be called, “white collar crimes!” I wonder if they all maybe do “meth?” after all they steal !!!!
No affect on the youth? Accept those in the association, not to mention the Erskine children who live in that community. Nice example for the youth in E Lewis County who are hanging on by their fingernails as it is~
As far as I am concerned, all integrity was lost when Cheeseman was removed for no real valid reason other than the aggressive ambitions of those parents who wanted to take over and be the shining star. You know who you are~
This is why it’s so important for any civic group that handles money to have a sharp treasurer on hand to make sure everything is accounted for and to know where to look when it isn’t. I’ll give Ms. Erskine credit for trying to replace the money on her own, but a bank teller should know better than anyone about how paper trails work.
Poor judgment, although she pales in comparison with Debbie Knapp and the LC Historical Museum experience, which happened due to lack of oversight on the part of their board. Trust, but verify.