(MANSFIELD, Ohio) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that a Richland County Grand Jury has indicted a Lexington, Ohio, couple for the improper use of more than $200,000 in scholarship funding.
The grand jury indicted Kendall and William Clemons, trustees for the Mansfield Tyger All Sports Booster Club, on a total of 20 charges including Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity. The club itself was indicted on five additional charges.
"These defendants are accused of taking approximately $200,000 that should have been spent to help send local athletes to college and give them bright futures," said Attorney General DeWine. "My office will fight to get that money back so it can go towards its intended purpose."
According to special prosecutors with the Attorney General's Office, the two booster club trustees used the money from the Mansfield Tyger All Sports Scholarship Trust to pay the mortgage on the booster club's bingo hall, to pay the club's attorneys, and as payment to Kendall Clemons for her work as the club's bookkeeper. After the scholarship money was drained the fund was terminated.
"Because the scholarship trust was a separate entity from the club, that money could not be used for any other purpose but scholarships without approval from the courts," said DeWine.
Kendall Clemons, 51, is also accused of unlawfully receiving more than $40,000 in benefits from the Social Security Administration between June 2007 and March 2012. She is also accused of failing to file tax returns, and William Clemons, 51, is accused of filing false tax returns.
The charges include:
Kendall Clemons
- Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity
- Complicity to Aggravated Theft
- Complicity to Grand Theft
- Complicity to Attempted Theft
- Complicity to Money Laundering
- Tampering with Evidence
- Tampering with Records (Two counts)
- Grand theft
- Filing Incomplete, False, and/or Fraudulent Tax Returns (Four counts)
William Clemons
- Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity
- Complicity to Aggravated Theft
- Complicity to Grand Theft
- Filing Incomplete, False, and/or Fraudulent Tax Returns (Three counts)
- Tampering With Records
Richland All Sports Booster Club AKA Mansfield Tyger All Sports Booster Club
- Aggravated Theft
- Grand Theft
- Attempted Theft
- Tampering with Evidence
- Tampering with Records
The case was investigated by the Attorney General's Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.
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Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840