The Huntsville City Council voted Thursday night to approve a CPA firm to investigate the Eastern League after Heather Spier was charged with embezzlement of over $70,000 from the youth sports league.
According to court documents, Spier was arrested on March 1. The documents allege she stole $73,225 from Huntsville Eastern League from September 2022 through February 2024.
The Huntsville Eastern League is a combined youth sports league overseeing football, basketball, cheerleading, soccer and other sports.
The City hired the firm to determine how the embezzlement occurred, but it potentially could cost as much as $25,000 and may take a few months before the full operation is known.
The assessment will evaluate the financial management around revenue collection of the league and determine how much money was allegedly stolen from the Eastern League. It may also determine the amount the City is owed in restitution if Spier is convicted and how to prevent an act like this from occurring again.
Spier worked in the city's landscaping department. However, a City official has confirmed that is no longer the case.
City officials say Spier's former position in the city's landscaping department did not contribute to the embezzlement. She will appear in court for the first time next Wednesday.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email Bradley.cox@1819news.com or on Twitter @BradleyCoxAL.
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