A former Central Arizona College basketball coach has been hit with a four-month prison sentence after engaging in fraudulent activities against her players and their families, as well as the college itself, swindling them out of tens of thousands of dollars; Denise Cardenas, the ex-coach in question, is also saddled with the responsibility of paying nearly $25,000 in restitution, funds that the college has forwarded to the victims, this according to a report by Pinal County Attorney's Office.
Cardenas, 45, pleaded guilty to charges of Fraudulent Schemes, a class two felony, and Theft, a class six felony, reaping repercussions for her misleading actions that involved duping players into paying half of their tuition fees which were, in fact, covered by full scholarships provided by the college, meanwhile the players unsuspecting the sting of betrayal from within were using their financial aid Pell Grant money to cover these falsified expenses, a fact-finding mission by Pinal County Sheriff’s Office uncovered the scheme initiated in August 2022, digging into 'Coach Gooch's' affairs. The investigation also brought to light a phony holiday fundraiser and delusive requests for funds purported for new uniforms that never made it into the college's account, as money ended up in Cardenas' personal bank instead.
At the sentencing, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Steven Fuller imposed a term of four months' incarceration in the Arizona Department of Corrections followed by a three-year period of supervised probation for Cardenas; County Attorney Kent Volkmer condemned the breach of trust stating, "To see such a trusted and revered community member prey on her players for her own financial gain is saddening," while Sheriff Mark Lamb added that this criminal act negatively impacted the students’ future paths essentially saying, "We hope this sentence brings closure to those athletes, their families, and the school, and reaffirm that this type of victimization is not tolerated."
