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Woman arrested for taking $47,000 from Middletown Youth Football League
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – An ongoing sheriff's office investigation into missing funds from the Middletown Youth Football League has resulted in the arrest of a Middletown woman.
Detectives arrested Carol Ann Outen, 38, at her home on Thursday morning, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Outen – who is alleged to have taken $47,000 from the league – is charged with grand theft and fraudulent use of a check, according to Brooks' report.
Brooks said that in May of 2012 it was reported to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office that Outen, the Middletown Youth Football League's treasurer, had failed to pay several bills.
He said it was believed that Outen had been mismanaging the funds during her service with the league's board.
The case was turned over to the Lake County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit for assistance with the investigation, Brooks said.
Multiple search warrants were written and served on Outen’s personal and business bank accounts during the beginning portion of the investigation, according to Brooks.
As the investigation continued, Brooks said detectives discovered that during 2011 through early 2012, Outen had used the funds acquired from various fundraisers, ticket admissions and concessions to pay for personal assets.
Outen admitted in 2011 she was having financial problems, personally and with her business, Brooks said. She began using the Middletown Youth Football League’s checking account as one of her personal accounts to float outstanding checks.
Brooks said Outen explained she would write a Middletown Youth Football Check to herself or her business. She would then deposit the checks into her business account to keep those checks from bouncing.
Outen claimed there was no football money in any of her bank accounts. She told investigators that approximately $10,000 belonging to the Middletown Youth Football League was stored in her personal safe at her residence prior to her being asked to step down from the board, Brooks reported.
After reviewing the bank records, detectives discovered Outen had transferred approximately $47,000 from the Middletown Youth Football League's checking account into her personal and business accounts, Brooks said.
On Wednesday, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Outen. At 8 a.m. Thursday, detectives arrested Outen at her home in Middletown, Brooks said.
Brooks said Outen was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. On Thursday evening Outen remained in custody, with bail set at $30,000.
The investigation is still ongoing and Brooks asked anyone with information pertinent to this case to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-263-2690.