CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A husband and wife pair was sentenced to prison Monday for stealing more than $239,000 from a Charlotte high school booster club, according to U.S. District Attorney Dena King.
Anthony Sharper, 42, and his wife Deana Sharper, 47, are accused of operating a scheme between 2017 and June 2020 to “defraud and embezzled” money from the South Mecklenburg High School athletic booster club by writing checks to themselves for alleged reimbursements, officials said.
Court documents also showed the two wired funds directly to their bank account and used the club’s debit cards and a credit card to pay personal expenditures.
Prosecutors said Anthony Sharper also committed tax fraud by failing to report the embezzled funds on the couple’s joint 2018 and 2019 tax returns.
Court records said Anthony Sharper submitted three fraudulent applications for federal COVID-19 relief funds, including two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan application to the Small Business Administration.
Prosecutors said all three applications contained false information, including revenues and fake payroll and employment data.
The applications netted Sharper more than $236,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Authorities alleged he planned to use the money to cover up his theft and to enrich himself.
Anthony Sharper pleaded guilty to wire fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution, engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property and tax fraud.
He was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a money judgment of $310,832.80.
Deana Sharper pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Shew as sentenced to 21 months in prison and two years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a money judgment of $239,742.80.
Source: Fox 8 News Channel
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