Sentencing delayed for former Otsego, Michigan school official charged with embezzling

A former Otsego Public Schools operations director who pleaded guilty last spring to embezzling money from the district could end up with a lesser charge and a lighter sentence under an agreement reached Friday in the Allegan County Circuit Court.Thomas Matthews, 46, pleaded guilty on May 7 to one count of embezzling between $1,000 and $20,000, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and fines of up to $10,000 or three times the amount embezzled, whichever is greater.On Friday, Judge Kevin Cronin agreed to delay his sentencing of Matthews until March 25.Under the agreement, Matthews will be on probation until his sentencing. If he complies with the terms of his bond, his charge could be reduced to a misdemeanor of embezzling less than $1,000, which is punishable by up to a year in jail and two years of probation. Matthews has been free on bond since May. Allegan County Prosecutor Frederick Anderson said Matthews’ attorney, Mikel McEwen, requested the delayed sentencing. Anderson said he is satisfied with the agreement, based on Matthews’ public service and his clean record prior to the embezzlement.McEwen declined to comment. Matthews paid the full restitution of $22,916 in May. On Friday, Cronin also ordered Matthews to pay $1,748 in fines and court costs as part of the agreement. Anderson said sentencings may be delayed to within a year after a guilty plea. Matthews, who was the Otsego’s operations director before his job was eliminated in June 2009, cashed at least three checks that the district received from renting out a school bus each summer to Twin Lakes Reformed Church in Alamo Township. He told the court in May that he cashed checks that were worth a total of $22,916, dating back to 2004. Otsego Superintendent Dennis Patzer said the financial discrepancies weren’t discovered until late September 2009. Matthews was originally charged on Dec. 7 with three counts of embezzling between $1,000 and $20,000.