After nearly three years, the case of alleged embezzlement against former White Knoll High School athletic director Bryan Butz is close to being resolved, an assistant prosecutor said last week.
A court date will be set for Butz’s case within the next few months and a resolution should be reached by early fall at the latest, assistant 11th Judicial Circuit solicitor Robert Elam said.
Elam declined to say what has delayed getting the case to trial has been.
In October 2010, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department charged the longtime White Knoll athletics director with embezzling more than $135,000 in public money.
According to a warrant in the felony case, the money came from a checking account that Butz was using at a Lexington Bank without the knowledge of school officials. From about 2006 to 2010, Butz deposited checks totaling $135,000 from the school’s Booster Club into the account. Then, he used a debit card to withdraw money from the account for his own use, according to a warrant in the case.
The Booster Club turned the money over to Butz because, in his position as athletic director, he was supposed to act as a go-between between the club and the high school. The High School would purchase sports items, such as uniforms, and pay for them with Booster Club money.
The checking account was discovered after Butz overdrew money from it, causing bank officials to notify the school Booster Club, according to Lexington 1 school officials, who spoke about the case when Butz was arrested and relieved of his $80,000-a-year job.
Law officials have not said what Butz did with the money he is alleged to have taken. Butz has pleaded not guilty in the case.
Butz joined the school in 2002 as an athletics trainer. In 2006, he was promoted to athletics director. White Knoll, with more than 1,800 students, is the district’s second largest high school.
No comments:
Post a Comment