Leesburg man sentenced for $23K theft from local nonprofit group
A Leesburg man was sentenced Wednesday to five years of community control and 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to the theft of over $23,000 from a local civic organization.
As previously reported, Jeremy Eli Hogsett, 30, was indicted by a Highland County grand jury in January and charged with grand theft by deception, a fourth-degree felony; and tampering with records, a first-degree misdemeanor. He pleaded guilty to the felony charge in August, with the misdemeanor dismissed.
The indictment alleged that between Jan. 1, 2020 and Sept. 1, 2021, Hogsett “did knowingly obtain or exert control over” $23,578 in U.S. currency and other miscellaneous property valued between $7,500 and $150,000 “by deception” from the nonprofit group.
At the time of the offense, Hogsett had been serving as the group’s secretary and was later fired after “discrepancies in the checkbook” were found, according to a bill of particulars. A subsequent audit discovered several issues, including $9,683 in membership dues found in Hogsett’s desk instead of being deposited, as well as “multiple checks” written by Hogsett to himself for “reimbursement” without documentation totaling $13,895.
At his sentencing hearing, Hogsett — who was represented by attorney Kathryn Hapner — apologized to representatives of the group in attendance.
“I’m not the person I was three years ago,” Hogsett said. “I take full responsibility.”
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss pointed out that it was “a significant amount of money that you stole” from the group.
“It’s a charitable organization which is designed to support people in the community — different groups and charitable causes in the community — and certainly, that’s a lot of money that was diverted from that purpose,” Coss said. “It’s not just [the group] that was harmed, it’s the community that has harmed, because that money would have been used to benefit other groups and individuals that fall within the purview of their charitable mission.”
Coss added that the law does not permit a prison sentence due to the offense being a fourth-degree felony. He did sentence Hogsett to 30 days in the Highland County Justice Center, beginning Sept. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 1, and “the balance of that will be served as directed by the Probation Department when you’re not working, when you have days off, furloughed or laid off, or a holiday vacation,” the judge said.
In addition, Hogsett was sentenced to five years of community control due to the “amount of restitution” involved, Coss said. The judge ordered him to pay $400 per month starting in December for the $23,578 in restitution owed.
“If you get it paid off earlier [than five years], that will certainly weigh in favor of you being discharged earlier,” Coss told Hogsett.