A former Medina County lacrosse coach has been indicted for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the local association while also serving as the association's president.
Gregory T. Bacho, 51, was indicted by a Medina County grand jury following an investigation by Medina and Medina Township police with the assistance of the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
Bacho served as both a coach and president of the Medina Lacrosse Association that serves more than 200 youth in grades one through eight.
Bacho was charged with grand theft after allegedly stealing more than $90,000 from 2013 to 2016.
He is being held in the Medina County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
An exclusive 5 On Your Side investigation obtained tax records that the association — in one year alone — raised more than $95,000 in fees and fundraising activities.
Complaints were first filed with the Ohio Attorney General's Office as far back as September 2015.
A formal investigation into the allegations was launched in February 2016 by Medina police and turned over to Medina Township police, where Bacho resided at the time of the alleged theft.
"A lot of the transactions were checks made out to cash," said David Arbogast, Chief of the Medina Township Police Department. "He had debit cards. It was a fairly interesting scheme to try to track. Some of it was purchases that were made — the checks were actually paid to him instead of into the association. It was a very complex web of different financial transactions and over a long period of time."
Volunteers for the association began to grow suspicious of the association's finances when Bacho allegedly refused to share financial information with the group and prepared a 2013 tax return without the assistance of a certified public accountant— signing the tax form himself.
Parents and volunteers informed current board members of their suspicions demanding the Bacho step down and the board resign.
It has since reorganized under a new name — the Medina Youth Lacrosse Association — with new board members.
