Latest news with #LibertyRanchHawksBoosterClub
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Galt City Council considers money to help Liberty Ranch boosters
May 31—GALT — A high school booster club is getting some financial help months after some $200,000 in funds were stolen. The Galt City Council will consider approving the allocation of $1,000 in public benefit funds from Vice Mayor Paul Sandhu to the Liberty Ranch Hawks Booster Club at its Tuesday, June 4 meeting. Sandhu asked for the funds to be allocated to the organization during the May 20 council meeting. "Their financial (situation), as everybody knows, is not that great," Sandhu said last week. "So I'd like to give my $1,000 to them." The Galt Joint Union High School District announced on March 20 that funds were found to be missing from the Liberty Ranch High School Sports Booster Club following an audit earlier in the month. The club filed a civil complaint against its former treasurer, Carmela Cuadrado Baker in Sacramento County Superior Court on March 20, along withe her husband Paul and 10 other named people. The suit alleges that Carmela Baker used by the club's debit card at 51 different businesses, with the largest coming at Instacart, where she spent more than $53,000. There were also purchases of more than $44,000 on Amazon, more than $27,000 at Walmart, nearly $18,000 at Costco and nearly $13,000 through PayPal. Other notable spending included more than $7,000 through AirBNB, nearly $7,000 at the City of Galt, $4,600 at Disneyland, nearly $5,000 at Save Mart and more than $3,000 at Stratton's Pizza. According to the suit, Carmela Baker is a para-educator at the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District who began volunteering with the Booster Club in 2019. The club raises and distributes funds for 17 athletic teams at Liberty Ranch High School through events and concessions at the Hawks Nest and Hawks Stadium. Money raised goes into a pool, which is then used to distribute to teams for equipment, team dinners, senior nights and banquets, among other events. Last June, the council agreed to re-establish the City Council Public Benefit Funds for the use of "worthy projects, programs, organizations, or other purposes of benefit to the community." Each council member was allotted $1,000 in a fiscal year for a grand total of $5,000 to be distributed. Said funds need to be used in full each fiscal year and cannot be rolled over. Tuesday's meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Galt City Hall, 380 Civic Drive. It will also be livestreamed at the council's YouTube channel,
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
High school booster club says former treasurer embezzled about $200K
Mar. 28—The Liberty Ranch Hawks Booster Club has sued its former treasurer, alleging she embezzled about $200,000 from the organization. Carmela Cuadrado Baker, along with her husband Paul Lee Baker and 10 unnamed others, were named as co-defendants in a complaint filed with Sacramento County Superior Court on March 20. The allegations say that Carmela Baker, a para-educator with the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District, began volunteering with the Booster Club, which raises and distributes funds for 17 athletic teams at Liberty Ranch High School, in 2019. "Unbeknownst to Plaintiff and the other Board members, at some point Defendant began using the debit card issued her to pay personal expenses," the complain alleges. "These amounts were small at first and gradually grew over time. Defendant was able to conceal the charges by doctoring the ledgers so they would balance out." According to the document, the Booster Club's clerk noticed something off on a ledger and requested statements from the bank on March 7, discovering that where the ledger said there should be $170,000, there was instead less than $5,000. On March 19, Galt Join Union High School District Superintendent Anna Trunnell released a statement outlining the discovery of missing funds, saying the Booster Club had notified the administration and law enforcement, which has initiated an investigation. "Moving forward, the District will review its policies and procedures for school-connected organizations, such as the Booster Club, to help prevent future incidents," Trunnell's statement said. "While the Booster Club's funds are not the District's direct responsibility, the District will consider any assistance needed by the Sports Booster Club so that students are not affected." The Booster Club is the starting point for fundraising for athletic programs at the school, organizing the snack bar at games and other fundraising events. Money goes into a pool, which is then used to distribute to teams for equipment, team dinners, senior nights, banquets and more. The Booster Club's filing asked for restitution of any funds proven to be embezzled, which it stated is more than $200,000, asked "For treble damages of the Converted Funds as provided in Penal Code section 496, subdivision (c)", and asked for compensatory damages to cover legal fees. The complaint included Paul Baker, a teacher, saying "Mr. Baker knew, or should have known, about Defendant's embezzlement" based on the high amount of spending. The Booster Club's complaint also asked for a jury trial. Included in the filing was a list of unauthorized purchases used by the Booster Club's debit card at 51 different businesses, with the largest coming at Instacart (more than $53,000), Amazon (more than $44,000), Walmart (more than $27,000), Costco (nearly $18,000), and PayPal (almost $13,000). Other notable spending came at AirBNB (more than $7,000), City of Galt (almost $7,000), Disneyland ($4,600), Save Mart (nearly $5,000) and Stratton's Pizza (more than $3,000). The Booster Club is being represented by Matthew Weber and Jennifer Williams of Downey Brand.
