The Virginian-Pilot
©
CHESAPEAKE
A 40-year-old Great Bridge man entered an Alford plea Tuesday in Chesapeake Circuit Court to one count of embezzlement from the Great Bridge Swim & Racquet Club, where he had served as president and temporary treasurer.
In a plea agreement, John Sutton of the 600 block of Robinold Court agreed to repay the club $23,000, with an initial payment next month of $5,000 and 73 monthly installments of $250, according to court records. In return, prosecutors withdrew four counts of money laundering and two other counts of embezzlement.
Sutton is expected to serv e two weekends of a suspended five-year sentence in the Chesapeake Correctional Center. He will be under supervised probation that will end when restitution is made, according to court records.
The Alford plea means he does not admit guilt but concedes that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him.
In 2004 Sutton served as the club's president and became treasurer in 2005, according to a stipulation of facts agreed to by both the prosecution and defense. After a club election in late 2005, a newly elected treasurer and club board members repeatedly asked Sutton to turn over the club books; he never did.
Between Oct. 1, 2005, and Jan. 31, 2007, Sutton wrote numerous checks from the club account to himself and also used the club's credit card to purchase personal items. He used online bank payments from the club's account to pay his credit-card debt, according to court records.
Joe Jones, the president of the club since November, said the 189-member club is still operating "with great members and a great family atmosphere."
"I'm not pleased with the total outcome," he said. "I'm satisfied with the conviction. I believe the club has still not been made whole but we're still a viable, robust club."
John Hopkins, (757) 222-5221, john.hopkins@pilotonline.com
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Promoman
The issue is much worse tha Promoman lets on. I believe the amount embezzled was much more and the money laundering was repeatedly. the worse part is that he disgraced his mother, father, sister and brother. They were icons at GBSRC. The board repeatedly asked to have meetings, demanded documentation and the defendant refused. He was too busy paying his bills and credit cards. He didn't make GBSRC great. It was GREAT before him. He didn't have anything to do with the bubble; ODAC paid for it and he didn't pay ODAC. He destroyed it and continues to do so til this day. He will be responsible for its downfall; if that happens. I would request that Promoman stay in the market he is in; but with the market being waht it is, he'll likely lose also. The defendant offered to pay back $40,000 during the plea phase; with what his family's money? And wanted to stay a member. No guilt, How could anyone in his family continue to attend Club functions. If they do, then they have no conscience.
Hilarious is Hilarious
Picky about the math...easy to back an embezzler. The math is still less than the denfendant STOLE from the Club to pay his bills. But the worst part is that the defendant let down his entire family and agreed not to admit his guilt. You do the math: Agreed to guilt = 0 X Amount Embezzeled = No conscience. Now that's hilarious.
Embezzler
As far as the Board for two years not doing anything to hold the former President accountable - I feel that with Great Bridge being that GREAT, and the country atmosphere and family spirit at the pool, there was no reason to suspect anything being done in secret. I'm sure going forward that things are in place that what was done to all of us won't happen again. I remember receiving the letter in the mail of suspicion and the upcoming meeting on a Sunday night. The shock and stress in that meeting of those that were presenting the facts and figures (at that point) was unsettling. Like, how could this be? Mr. Sutton did a marvelous job in getting our pool to the greatness it is, but at the expense of committing a crime and stealing from those like me that love the pool. Knowing all along. Why couldn't he go to a bank like the rest of us would do in a financial situation. Did he think no one would ever find out? Again, I appreciate all he did for our pool, and it is so unfortunate that while all the concrete was being poured, driving by to see the progress and Mr. Sutton was there all the time. I feel sorry for his nice wife and his children. He has disgraced himself and fa
I am very happy with the new
I am very happy with the new Board. Their decisions are being made in the best interest of the GBSRC, not in an attempt to punish someone no longer associated with the club. As for his parents, I don't know them. But just like any parent, I am sure they love their son and they are supporting him through this. I'm sure they are disappointed in him, as we all are. He made alot of bad decisions. That is clear. He also made alot of good ones and our club will continue to thrive because of many of those. In the end, this is over. He is gone, we won our long sought after criminal conviction against him and now let's move on in the life of the GBSRC.
I met with the lead
I met with the lead detective, did anybody else? I know the real facts and know that in the end, the number was less than $6,000. The Prosecutor demanded the number he did because of the resulting losses to the club, i.e. finance charges, late fees, etc. And we cannot blame our former president for either assessment. He offered the club a settlement back in 2007 that was nearly twice what he ended up agreeing to pay. The Board back then wanted him to have a criminal record and he does now so they should be happy. I am ashamed of those who led our club down this path. This could have been over two years ago and the club would have been in a much better financial condition. But those who we thought were good leaders (again, the very board members who did nothing for two years) decided that our former president's head on a platter was the better option. Their hatred for him cost our club $22,000
I too am a long time member
I too am a long time member (13 years), and will be a veteran member in 2 years. I was one of the few members that agreed to testify FOR the former president. I know the time he spent serving our club; time he took away from his wife and two children. I love the slide, the clubhouse, the bathrooms at the tennis courts, the bubbled pool and all the good he did for the Piranhas. I was and am disgusted at what he did and the abuse of power he was clearly guilty of. Unlike most, I lost sleep coping with the fact that the information portrayed to us about him was presented by the very Board members who did nothing for nearly two years. I did not just entrust the President. I voted for 11 Board members and they all, collectively, neglected our club. Yet, they threw out the President and all those who did nothing for 2 years were there, first in line, to crucify him. No accountability on their part at all. I proposed an independent committee to do its own investigation, but that was shot down by the Board. They wanted to do this all on their own. The numbers being thrown around are wrong. I met with the Prosecutor, did anybody else? I met with the lead detective, did anybody else?
Hilarious
Apparently ARTV60293 didn't read the article AND has major trouble with math. The amount is $23,000 (NOT $25,000) AND according to the article $5K of that is to be paid next month. The remainder of $18,000 (that's 23000 - 5000, get out your calculator if you don't believe me artv) is what will be paid over time. Read more carefully next time!
GBSRC
As a former President, Treasurer, and Board Member, I am disturbed at the outcome of this case. $63,000 was embezzled; there were 6 charges and the defendant gets two weekends and 73 months to repay $25,000. Who did he pay off. His father was one of the best loved members of the Club. I can't believe he can be proud of this verdict. I served GBSRC for the best of the Club and I am saddened that the defendant can get away with Club funds, retain his place in Great Bridge and serve just two weekends to make up for his disrespect for his father, mother and all of those members who have put so much into creating a Club that returns so much to the community. When his father left the Club, the whole Club wept; now we weep for another Sutton who has no honor and will repay his debt with embexzzled money.
Embezzler
Yes, the monies to pay us back. Wonder who will put the $5,000 up. This will always be a bad taste in my mouth, as my husband's plant shut down. I work, but a secretary's wage is that - a secretary's wage. And we have to scrape up the money to pay for our normal dues as a veteran, which were half of what the other pay now PLUS the two assessments paid already. We will be paying for his mistake to put it mildly for ever. Again, all I wanted was a nice pool to enjoy and we entrusted someone, yes, TRUSTED someone, to handle the affairs of our pool. Only to find out, he screwed all of us. BIG TIME. And,oh I forgot, no apology EVER. Never owned up to it until this one charge yesterday. Very disappointing. The shame he has put his nice wife through, the embarrasement to his children.
Embezzler
As a veteran member of the pool, I feel the former President got off pretty easy with his punishment. Since this all came out we, at the pool, had to pay an unexpected assessment that winter to keep the pool open, plus another assessment and now increased yearly dues. So WE are the ones paying for his stealing from us. It was a shock as the former President was the nicest guy-so we thought. He pays something back, spends two weekend in the slammer, and WE, the stockholders at the pool, will continue to pay for his mistake. We are punished, too. All I wanted was to have a nice pool to enjoy.