FLINT — Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton has charged Alisha Lacole Patton, 39 of
Flint, with one count of embezzlement for taking money for her own personal use from a local
youth athletic fund.
Board members of the Mt. Morris Mountaineers Wrestling group, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises funds for the wrestling program at the Mt. Morris Consolidated School District, first reported their concerns to police in November 2019 after a check from the organization’s bank account bounced when they attempted to purchase uniforms for the program. At the time, Patton had been serving as the elected treasurer for the group.
The initial police investigation into the allegations stalled when Patton moved out of state and the group’s financial records made it difficult to establish probable cause evidence necessary for charges. In January 2022, upon further information being provided to police along with the return of Patton to the Flint area, the investigation was re-opened and police presented their findings to the Prosecutor’s Office and the embezzlement charge was authorized. The charge against Patton, embezzlement of $20,000 or more but less than $50,000, is a felony that carries a possible penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
“Many communities have non-profit groups that are set up to assist and support local youth athletics, and these types of informal groups seem to be the ones we see victimized most often by embezzlement,” said Leyton.
“They are often lead by volunteers with little experience in managing organizational funds, and oversight of the group’s finances is often loose and unchecked until it’s too late,” he continued. “There is a wealth of information on the internet that non-profit organizations can read up on to help them put safeguards in place to prevent embezzlement of group funds and, I encourage these organizations to do so sooner rather than later.”
Patton will be arraigned in 67th District Court.
