Edmond Santa Fe Cheer Club President Sentenced For Embezzlement

A mother of five charged with taking money from Edmond Santa Fe's cheer booster club, will now spend 90-days in jail.

Torre pleaded no contest to one embezzlement charge and five counts of computer crimes.

Torre was also ordered to pay $14,095 in restitution.

Since the sentencing, the district swiftly added new safeguards to keep something similar from happening again.

The misuse of booster funds was caught by the district's Chief Financial Officer and her staff as part of an annual audit.

“So we questioned those, and we had her come in with some proof,” said Edmond Public Schools, CFO, Lori Smith.

But, Smith says Torre didn't have that proof.

She says it was cheer booster club members who did all the investigating and learned money was being used inappropriately.

10/23/14 Related Story: Edmond Santa Fe Cheer Club President Accused Of Embezzlement

“We were just the ones who first alerted them that there was a problem,” said Smith.

“She got in over her head, and she thought she could pay the money back,” said Torre’s former attorney, Matt Stacy.

Torre is accused of using that money at restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, and even at the hair salon. 

But, the district wants to make sure it doesn't happen again.

“When we do have a new group, we’re going to do mid-year reviews so if there are any problems in the way they’re handling things, we’ll catch them sooner,” said Smith.

“They were in a desperate financial situation, and that doesn’t by no means justify what happened, and she admits that,” said Stacy.

Stacy says the money will be returned to the booster club, but repayment will be severely hampered.

“At this point she is a convicted felon, and obviously she doesn’t have a job anymore because she’s going to be in jail for the next 90 days,” said Stacy.  

As for the school district, it will now provide a list of recommended internal controls for all their sanctioned organizations.

“So that they know the kinds of procedures to put in place to safe guard against these things,” said Smith.  

Torre's former attorney says he tried for a 10-year deferred sentence, but prosecutors wanted jail time.

Torre's husband and five children are now staying in Utah while she serves her sentence.