A Midlander accused of embezzling from a Midland preschool has entered into a plea agreement that could leave him with a misdemeanor, rather than a felony, record.
Lawrence William Weideman, 41, was charged with one count of embezzlement of $20,000 to $50,000 from the St. John’s Episcopal Cooperative Pre-School. Midland Police began investigating the case in May.
Midland County Circuit Court Judge Stephen P. Carras recently accepted a plea of guilty to that charge. Court documents state the deal calls for a one year sentence delay, with the misdemeanor charge of embezzlement between $200 and $1,000 entered onto Weideman’s record if he successfully completes the delay.
Weideman is to pay $10,000 toward restitution at the time of his Jan. 14 sentencing.
Preschool employees told Midland Police they believed the embezzlement began in August of 2013, after Weideman became treasurer, court documents state. A review of bank accounts, conducted by employees, showed direct transfers to a personal bank account from the preschool’s bank account, as well as checks written from the preschool’s account, then deposited into a personal account.
Some deposits were made into the preschool’s account from a personal account. “When the preschool account was going to be short for payroll, deposits were always made to cover the amounts,” court records state.
The activity continued until May of 2015. The total believed to have been embezzled is $34,084, the documents state.
Weideman is free on an $11,000, 10 percent bond, and is being represented by Midland attorney Courtney L. Thom.
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