LOGAN — A 53-year-old Providence man has been sentenced to jail, home confinement and probation for stealing nearly $40,000 from a youth football team. Cody Roy Lofthouse used the money for personal purchases over the past six years.
Lofthouse was sentenced Wednesday in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously pleaded guilty to communications fraud, a second-degree felony, and money laundering and forgery, both third-degree felonies.
Logan City police were originally called to investigate a trailer the team reported missing. Officers later located the trailer, and in the process of the investigation, uncovered years of theft by Lofthouse, the team’s treasurer.
Police learned how Lofthouse had opened a new bank account in the team’s name, forging another board member’s signature on the application. He then transferred team funds into the new account, where he was able to make a large quantity of purchases for personal expenses without detection from other board members.
During Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, defense attorney Shannon Demler said Lofthouse was a good man who had struggled to support his family. He asked the court to consider probation instead of any jail time.
Lofthouse admitted that he had made a poor decision. He expressed remorse for what he did and recognized that it wasn’t right.
Judge Brian Cannell disagreed with Demler and said Lofthouse deserved jail time because of the significance of the crime. He ordered the Providence man to serve 30 days in jail, followed by 30 days of home confinement.
Lofthouse was ordered to report to the Cache County Jail by April 10. Upon release, he will be placed on probation for 36 months. He also must pay $38,548 in restitution and register on the state’s white-collar crime registry.