Gilberts man who stole from youth football league gets second chance
A founder of a Gilberts youth football league accused of stealing from the organization has been accepted into Kane County's deferred prosecution program, according to court records.
Michael S. Curran, 50, of the 900 block of Tipperary Street, Gilberts, must pay $2,250 restitution, complete 100 hours of community service, write an apology letter and stay out of trouble for a year under the agreement he signed with prosecutors. He also must pay another $1,432 in court costs and fines.
The county's alternate sentencing program is open to first-time, nonviolent felony offenders. Under the agreement, OK'd Tuesday by Judge Marmarie Kostelny, Curran admitted to both of the offenses.
If Curran completes the program, the state will dismiss the charges. But if he fails to comply with the conditions, which also include random drug tests, the state prosecute him on the felony charges, the most serious of which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
A message left with Curran's defense attorney, Tim Mahoney, was not returned.
Curran is accused of delivering a false invoice of $3,050 to the treasurer of the Gilberts Youth Football and Cheer Inc. on March 4, 2014, and obtaining control of more than $2,250 from Brian Kovanda, board president for the football program, also in March 2014, court records show.
The program is commonly known as the GPH Grizzlies.
Kovanda could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but said earlier this year that board of the nonprofit football program discovered last year that Curran submitted fake invoices for fundraising "value cards," which are sold for $10 and give discounts at various local restaurants and shops.
Curran billed the organization $3 per card instead of 75 cents - the actual cost of printing - and pocketed the $2.25 difference per card, Kovanda had said.
Curran founded the program in 2008 and was a board member until August 2014, when he resigned.