Former Belle Ann Parent Organization treasurer Lori Ann Ruhle was sentenced in 52nd-2nd District Court in Clarkston on Tuesday.
Circuit Court Judge Richard Kuhn ordered Ruhle to pay $2,688 in restitution, serve 18 months probation and court costs as part of a plea by the defendant.
Ruhle entered a plea of no-contest to embezzlement of $200 but less than $1,000 on July 15 in Oakland County District Court. The court dismissed one count of embezzlement of $1,000 but less than $20,000, which if convicted, carried a maximum of five years in prison and/ or several thousand in fines..
In December 2003, a warrant was issued for Ruhle, following a five-month investigation after members of BAPO reported discrepancies in bookkeeping records. On Jan. 5, Ruhle, was arrested and charged in Oakland County District Court with embezzling $2,688 in funds collected by the private fund-raising organization.
Ruhle a former part-time Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School employee, served as BAPO treasurer from 2002-2003.
The rather lengthy investigation stemmed from falsification of receipts and missing cash following fund-raising activities. Cash was recorded on BAPO receipts, but bank deposits did not reflect the same amount, according to Arine Terrell, Oakland County Sheriff’s department detective and Brandon School District liaison officer.
Since the investigation, Belle Anne Elementary School has formed a Parent Teacher Association.