Little League Thief Must Buy Uniforms
A man who admitted embezzling $1,400 while treasurer of the Cerritos-Artesia Little League was ordered Monday to buy new baseball uniforms for every youngster in the league--or spend a year in jail.
Salesman Roger Abel, 38, pleaded guilty July 22 on a single count of misdemeanor grand theft, embezzlement.
He appeared for sentence Monday before Bellflower Municipal Judge Richard S. Hanki, who placed him on probation for three years and ordered him to spend one year in County Jail. But the judge suspended the jail sentence on condition that Abel buy new uniforms for all 310 players in the league.
He gave Abel until the first of the year to comply.
“I want to see the uniforms by then,” the judge said, “or you are going to spend 1986 in jail.”
League officials estimated the cost of the uniforms at $10,000.
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