Goodrich – A former treasurer of the Goodrich Sports Boosters, Tonya Ann Yannaki, 46, of Linden pleaded guilty on Wednesday to embezzling thousands of dollars from the group’s account.
‘Right now, she faces a felony which could give her up to five years in prison,? said Genesee County Prosecuting Attorney David Leyton. ‘However since she has paid the $48,000 in restitution, which I have confirmed with my investigator and the Boosters Club in Goodrich, she has earned the right to vacate the felony to a misdemeanor.?
Leyton said that under the terms of a plea deal with prosecutors, Yannaki will face a delayed sentence of one year probation at her sentencing April 14 before Genesee Circuit Judge Richard B. Yuille. If Yannaki completes the terms of an expected year-long probation, she will be left with a misdemeanor conviction instead of a felony. record. The charges stem from when Yannaki was the club’s treasurer from 2002-2006 and in charge of cash and checks the group took from various fundraisers. School officials said the thefts started in 2006 and ended sometime in 2007.
When Boosters President Chrys Tangney asked for financial records, Yannaki stopped going to the meetings and could not produce a report. The missing money was then reported to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department on Oct. 1.
‘The delayed sentence is much like probation and will change the felony to a misdemeanor, if she keeps a clean criminal record for a year,? said Leyton. ‘Her charge will be amended to embezzlement of an amount less than $2,000 which is a misdemeanor.?
Leyton said when Yannaki threw herself on the mercy of the court, that allowed her to get in the present position she is in to vacate the felony.
‘She did the crime and she is paying for it,? said Leyton.
The sports boosters are the volunteers who help raise money for Goodrich High School sports including hockey, football and cheerleading, or any sports group in the school. Tangney said the boosters did not previously require two signatures on checks written from the account, and have since changed their ways of accounting to safeguard against any future problems.