Couple facing embezzlement charges after West Valley sports youth group probe
A Cottonwood couple who were once involved with the West Valley Junior Eagles are facing charges of embezzlement, grand theft and theft by use of access card following an investigation by Shasta County Sheriff's Office into financial wrongdoing involving the youth football organization.
Deputies opened an investigation into the youth football group in February 2022, when the organization was having a leadership change. Former president 39-year-old Anthony Aitken was stepping down at that time. His wife, 35-year-old Amalia “Mollie” Aitken, was also leaving her leadership role in the Junior Eagles Cheerleaders then, according to the sheriff's office.
Anthony Aitken refused to provide new board members with financial information for the organization, according to the deputies' report. "After the board members were forced to circumvent Anthony, they located several suspicious transactions in the financial records," the deputies' report said.
Deputies issued search warrants to get copies of the organization’s financial records and of the suspects’ financial records. Anthony and Amalia Aitken used funds from the youth organization to make payments for a personal bankruptcy, according to authorities. The couple also made "numerous unapproved cash withdrawals," the report said.
During further investigation, deputies said they located more than $25,000 worth of unauthorized expenditures.
As a result, arrest warrants were issued for Anthony and Amalia Aitken. Both have been charged with twocounts of embezzlement, two counts of grand theft and one count of theft by use of access card, according to the sheriff's office.
Amalia Aitken was arrested at her home without incident on Feb. 28. Anthony Aitken, who was out of town, has stated he will turn himself in to the Shasta County Jail when he returns to Shasta County, according to the sheriff's office.
The group is a nonprofit football and cheer organization for youth in grades K-8, according to the organization's Facebook page.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at 530-245-6000.
Michele Chandler covers criminal justice issues for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Follow her on Twitter at @MChandler_RS, call her at 530-338-7753 or email her at michele.chandler@redding.com. Please support our entire newsroom's commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Couple facing embezzlement charges after West Valley youth group probe
