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Two charged for embezzlement from Cedar Springs Youth Football League

President James Crouch and Treasurer Heather Vaughn were responsible for all of the money brought in during the 2017 football season, according to police. Now the two face charges for embezzlement.

Two members of the Cedar Springs Youth Football League board have been charged with embezzlement.

The Kent County Sheriff Department said an investigation was started after a complaint in March. The investigation lead deputies to believe that approximately $12,000 was missing from the leagues' bank account.

"We knew things were not correct so we started looking at our financials and that’s when we realized there was money missing," says concession coordinator Amy Gillette.

The sheriff's department said that the missing money was never deposited into the league's account.

President James Crouch and Treasurer Heather Vaughn were responsible for all of the money brought in during the 2017 football season, according to police. Now the two face charges for embezzlement.

"We trusted them," says Gillette. "We had two people on the account to check each other."

"And nobody was checking them," says current league president Eric Prins."Our kids played together. This is a small town. We know each other."

Police said at different times both Crouch and Vaughn embezzled money belonging to the Cedar Springs Youth Football League. Charges have been filed by the Kent Count Prosecutors Office.

"This is heartbreaking for all of us," says league vice president April Victorson. "It was a hard hit but we are going to persevere through this."

The Cedar Springs Youth Football League also dealt with vandals earlier this year at Skinner Field.

The league has set up a go fund me page to help replace the missing money. The new season starts August 20. With assistance from the community, league officers say they expect to start on schedule.

"We are not going to let this bring us down," says Prins. "We are going to fight hard."

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