(MANSFIELD, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that a new scholarship trust has been established for graduating student athletes of Mansfield Senior High School using proceeds from the Mansfield Tyger All-Sports Booster Club charitable fraud case.
Attorney General DeWine’s office estimates that approximately $300,000 in scholarship funds ultimately will be made available as a result of civil and criminal actions against former booster club trustees who were accused of stealing money meant for students and using the funds for themselves.
“We are pleased that this money will be used as originally intended, to benefit graduating student athletes of Mansfield Senior High School,” Attorney General DeWine said. “My office has worked closely with local officials to repair damage caused by a few individuals, and the creation of this new scholarship trust is a positive step forward.”
Under the order establishing the new trust filed last week, Richland County Court of Common Pleas Judge DeWeese appointed three new trustees: Chris Elswick, Doug Castle, and Stan Gilbert. The new trustees will administer the trust immediately, and will begin awarding scholarships this year to graduating senior athletes from Mansfield Senior High School.
Most of the money for the new scholarship trust will come from the sale of a building previously tied to a now-defunct scholarship trust formerly known as the Mansfield Tyger All-Sports Scholarship Trust.
Specifically, the funds include $125,705 held in escrow during the case and about $150,000 in expected future payments from the building’s current owner.
Additional funds will come from any criminal restitution payments made by defendants Kendall Clemons, William Clemons, and Cheryl Patrick, formerly of the Mansfield Tyger All-Sports Booster Club.
Civil restitution payments made by these and other defendants will be distributed to other charities harmed in the case.
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Documents
Order To Distribute Scholarship Trust Assets (PDF)
Media Contacts
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Kate Hanson: 614-466-3840