RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA
The former treasurer of the Rancho Santa Margarita/Trabuco Canyon AYSO soccer league was arrested last week on suspicion of stealing more than $15,000 from the league’s accounts.
Steve Elston, 48, of Trabuco Canyon turned himself in to investigators from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday after a warrant was issued on Tuesday, charging him with four counts of grand theft.
Capt. Steve Carroll of the Sheriff’s Department said Elston confessed to stealing the money from the league and claimed to have at least some of the money available to make restitution to the league.
Earlier this month, George Gutierrez of Rancho Santa Margarita was sentenced to seven months in prison and ordered to pay $86,000 after pleading guilty to writing at least 79 checks from a bank account of the Santa Margarita/Trabuco Canyon Pop Warner football league.
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