Lake Wales Little League vows to rebuild trust after police arrest former board members for grand theft
Lake Wales, Fla. - Lake Wales Little League's current president vows to rebuild trust back with the community after two former board members were charged with stealing thousands from the league.
"You can't steal from kids and get away with it," said current president, Miranda Hicks.
What we know:
The league's former president, Stephanie Witt, and former treasurer, Alicia Bird, were arrested after police say they used the league's bank cards, stealing more than $9,000 and spending it on personal items and services.
The theft happened over the course of several years and the board was trying to find the culprit.
"It was almost like a murder mystery," said Hicks. "Everybody looked around the room like we know it's someone here, but we don't know who it is."
After bringing the missing funds to light in May, Hicks says the suspects both stepped down from their positions. Members of the board went to the police and after an investigation, on Monday, both women were charged with Grand Theft and Scheme to Defraud.
Hicks says the stolen money was donated from the city to maintain the fields and was from registration for operating costs.
"Being a part of a board is speaking for those who can't speak for themselves and anyone who speaks from children should be ashamed," said Hicks.
Hicks says the league has implemented new procedures and policies, including open meetings and audits to prevent this from happening again.
They have to move forward now for the kids, players, families, and sponsors.
"I don't wish ill on anybody," she said. "I just hope that people in our community are still here standing with us and that we're trying to make the best impact that we can."
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What we don't know:
It's unclear if the two suspects were working together to commit the thefts.
What's next:
Hicks says to recoup the losses, they're going to have to go all in on fundraisers and rely heavily on sponsors.
The Source: Information for this story came from the Lake Wales Police Department and an interview conducted with the Lake Wales Little League.