A former Wellston City Schools booster club treasurer faced the music this week as Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced her sentencing to 24 months in prison for misappropriating over $40,000 of the organization's funds, according to the Ohio Attorney General's office. The defendant, only named Lisa Frisby, 46, and a resident of Wellston by the AG's office, was convicted on charges of felony grand theft and telecommunications fraud during a trial that spanned six days and wrapped up last month.
The calamity unfolded over a five-year tenure in which Frisby exercised unchecked control over the booster club's accounts, her schemes weren't unearthed until the vice president, driven by a burgeoning suspicion, secured the club's bank statements. These documents painted a glaringly different financial reality compared to the balances reported by Frisby. "She disgraced herself and betrayed the trust of students, parents and teachers," Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost declared, commending the investigative and prosecutorial efforts that brought the case to a close.
In a bid to rectify the financial wrongdoings, the court has ordered Frisby to pay back $40,200 in restitution to the Golden Rocket Athletic Boosters, which is effectively picking up where the now-dissolved Big W Football Boosters left off—Frisby complied by writing a check for the full amount at the sentencing hearing.
The case was brought to a head by Yost's Special Prosecutions Section, and the AG's office, possibly preempting future malfeasance, offers free fraud prevention training for nonprofits through their Charitable University initiative; individuals with inklings of shady fundraising or misuse of charitable resources are encouraged to touch base with the Ohio Attorney General's Office by reaching out at 800-282-0515 or hitting up their website at charitable.ohioago.gov for guidance and support.
