The former president of the nonprofit Kenai Peninsula Pop Warner football club was indicted by a Kenai grand jury on counts of theft and fraudulent uses of company funds on Sept. 22, according to a press release from the Alaska State Department of Law.
Alecia Gregory, 31, was indicted on one count of theft in the second degree, one count of fraudulent use of an access device or identification document, one count of scheme to defraud, and one count of falsifying business records, the release stated.
According to the criminal court affidavit, Gregory and Kimberly Curren — Pop Warner’s former treasurer — as well as both of their husbands who were on the board, all stepped down in spring 2020.
The affidavit states that the Pop Warner bank account was “emptied out and closed” on April 15, 2020, before both Gregory and Curren resigned on April 20, 2020. Upon leaving the organization, colleagues in the affidavit stated the “receipt book was empty” and that “even the carbon copies had been ripped out.”
Alaska State Trooper Ethan Norwood investigated the incident and signed the sworn affidavit.
According to his testimony, he questioned Gregory for the potential misappropriation of Pop Warner funds.
Norwood asked Gregory to explain multiple charges on Pop Warner credit cards — including from AT&T, Holiday Gas, Chevron Station, Walmart, multiple drive-through coffee stands, Taco Bell, K&A Creations, Save U More, Ravn Air, Forever Dance Alaska, Orca Theater, Costco, Enstar, Old Navy, Homer Electric Association, Apple.com and Famous Footwear — according to the affidavit.
Gregory said many of the charges were accidental, according to the affidavit.
She advised in the affidavit that the Ravn Air charges were a mistake, likely as a result of her use of Apple Pay, and that she did not pay that close attention to the bank account or check it all that often. According to the affidavit, Gregory advised that there is no way she would have known the money would have disappeared.
According to the affidavit, Gregory said the charges to K&A Creations — a business she shares with Curren — as well as Save U More, Costco, Old Navy and Famous Footwear were for the club.
Gregory’s attorney, William Walton, declined to comment for this story.
According to the press release, Gregory is alleged to have misappropriated approximately $25,000 during her time as the peninsula’s Pop Warner football club president.
Pop Warner was left with less than $500 for the 2020 season, according to Tom Anderson — the club’s current president. He said community sponsors enabled the organization to continue through the 2020 season. Seasons run from approximately mid-July to mid-October.
“It takes thousands of dollars to start the season,” Anderson said in an interview with the Clarion on Wednesday. “We really found out how much money it costs when you’re going as cheap as possible.”
Anderson was the vice president of the club under Gregory, and said he assumed the role as president after Gregory and Curren resigned. Before he became the president, he said other board members were unaware of the club’s financial state.
Anderson said they “had no clue until later” that the Pop Warner bank account had been mostly drained until he received the credit cards to the new account.
“Last season was so trying,” he said, noting that this season — which has 108 football players between the ages of 5 and 13 — has been better.
According to the press release, Gregory faces a possible sentence of 10 years imprisonment and is currently released from custody awaiting arraignment, which is scheduled for Oct. 5 in the Superior Court of Kenai.
Reach reporter Camille Botello at camille.botello@peninsulaclarion.com.
