Carrie Choat Indicted On Theft Charge

Choat Charged With Theft Of Over $1,500

Former McKinney High School Marquettes Booster Club Treasurer Carrie Choat was indicted by a Collin County Grand Jury Tuesday on one count of theft of over $1,500. Members of the club have alleged that Choat was responsible for the disappearance of $18,000 from the booster club’s coffers last year.

Choat’s attorney, Jerry Tidwell, said they are waiting for the indictment to be reviewed by a judge and for bond to be set. At that tine, Choat will turn herself in at the Collin County Sheriff’s Office to be processed. She will then post bond and begin the process of defending herself from the charges, Tidwell said.

Asked if he was surprised Choat was indicted on the charge, Tidwell said no.

"I am not surprised at all. This is Collin County," he said. "Carrie is innocent and I think after all the evidence is presented, she will be found not guilty."

Genevieve Peche, the club’s current president, said in February the club had asked Choat for an accounting of the club’s spending during fall meetings. But Choat only gave the club’s members a partial accounting.

According to McKinney Police Capt. Randy Roland who spoke in December about the case, the money was reported missing Dec. 4 to the MPD, after the Marquettes booster club discovered the missing money at its Nov. 27 meeting. The McKinney Police Department concluded its investigation and turned over its files to the Collin County District Attorney’s Office in late February.

Roland explained that the offense is a state jail felony. He said Wednesday an arrest warrant would probably be sworn out for Choat’s arrest and she would be given the opportunity to turn herself in, as she is not a flight risk.

To save money and reduce overcrowding in the state prison system, the Texas Legislature in 1993 reformed sentencing laws to create a class of non-violent, non-sex offender crimes called state jail felonies and a new type of cheaper-to-operate minimum security prison facility to house those sentenced to state jail time.

The offenders diverted from Texas prisons by these changes include low-level drug offenders (like those convicted of possession of under one gram of cocaine) and property offenders (like those convicted of burglary of a building). Most of those convicted of a state jail felony serve probated sentences. But judges have the discretion to sentence offenders to serve up to two years in a state jail.

Peche said in February that the missing funds came from sales for the school’s football program. She said, at that time, the loss was so serious it threatened the Marquette’s annual Spring Show, which was held as scheduled April 27-28.

Some of the missing money was also to be used to pay for scholarships for members of the team who were already attending college. Those funds were replaced through fund raising efforts by the girls and those scholarships were given to the girls in college this spring.

Marquettes Coach Amy Neely and Peche did not return phone calls seeking comment.