Woman indicted in booster club theft

Nov. 14, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

PALMER - A Palmer grand jury last week handed up a 12-count indictment for a Wasilla woman who once handled finances for the high school booster club.

Terri L. Trudeau, 43, faces charges including three counts each of misapplication of property, falsifying business records, second-degree theft and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received or held.

All charges on the indictment are Class C felonies and are related to money missing from the booster club.

Dwight Probasco, principal of Wasilla High School, confirmed Trudeau held the position of treasurer or secretary/treasurer for the football booster club.

&#8220Her job was to keep the books,” Probasco said.

Booster clubs are nonprofit organizations that support athletic programs and generate funds for things the school district doesn't cover, he said, and they generally work hand-in-hand with coaches.

Examples of items the football booster club would buy for the football team include jerseys, helmets, pants and pads, he said.

&#8220We were aware of the investigation,” Probasco said. &#8220People couldn't get answers to questions and it was a challenge to see the books.”

The charges in the indictment extend from July 1, 2004, to Feb. 28 this year, and include eight separate search warrants.

&#8220The documents supporting this look like the Anchorage phone book,” Probasco said.

Calls to the school resource officer and two other grand jury witnesses were not returned by deadline Monday.

Probasco said he was told that about $20,000 was

missing.