Midland man pays $10,000 toward restitution in preschool embezzlement case

A Midland man who admitted he embezzled money from a Midland preschool paid $10,000 toward restitution at his sentencing last week.

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 County Circuit Court Judge Stephen P. Carras sentenced Weideman to a one year sentence delay, as well as $1,750 fines and costs, plus one year of probation.

Weideman entered a guilty plea in the case in exchange for a deal calling for a misdemeanor charge of embezzlement between $200 and $1,000 to be entered into Weideman’s record if he successfully completes the sentence delay.

Weidman’s $10,000 payment toward restitution also was part of the plea deal. The total amount of restitution has yet to be set.

The charges were filed after Midland Police were contacted in May.

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 being represented by Midland attorney Courtney L. Thom.