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WYBL Bingo: Men get no jail time

January 19, 2012|By Fred Petke | The Winchester Sun

The two men accused of taking more than $16,000 from the Winchester Youth Baseball League’s bingo operation have a year to repay and may escape any jail time.

Larry K. Roe, a former president of the league, and Mark F. Thomas agreed to make full restitution Wednesday as part of a pre-trial diversion entered in Clark District Court. If they make full payment within a year, their charges of theft by failure to make required disposition of property will be dismissed, Clark County Attorney Brian Thomas said.

The pair were charged in October following an investigation by the state Division of Charitable Gaming into the league’s bingo operation. According to court documents, Roe, 47 of 209 Sandalwood Drive, and Thomas, 49 of 140 Casa Landa Way, took $16,586.28 from the league’s accounts between April 2009 and November 2009. Roe allegedly worked with Mark Thomas to create a second entity called Hometown Athletics to pay volunteers at the league’s bingo games. Under state law, volunteers are not allowed to be paid.

As part of the order, Mark Thomas was ordered to repay $7,249.14 and Roe was responsible for $4,987.14, unlike many criminal cases where co-defendants are all responsible that the full amount be paid. Brian Thomas said state officials calculated how much each person was responsible for, after examining the records.

“We actually met with all the defendants and the state gaming representatives and went over the amount of money,” Thomas said. “We looked at the recipients, who wrote the checks and looked at the entire situation for restitution.”

If they were indicted and convicted in circuit court, each could have received between five and 10 years in prison. If they do not complete their restitution, the cases could return to court for further prosecution, Brian Thomas said.

Roe and Mark Thomas were also prohibited from working with charitable gaming in any capacity, including as a volunteer, forever, Brian Thomas said.

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