Clifford Lewis Polston, the former Chief Professional Officer for the Tustin BGCT, pleaded guilty to one felony cont of grand theft and a sentencing enhancement for taking more than $50,000.
Polston used club funds from the BGCT to pay for personal vacations and pay his wife a salary for a fictitious job that she did not hold, according to an Orange County District Attorney press release.
Polston worked as the Chief Professional Officer for BGCT between 1977 and 2007.
The release states that Polston stole approximately $114,000 from BGCT. He used approximately $33,000 in BCGT funds to pay off his personal credit cards for expenses not related to BGCT, including vacation rentals in Hawaii, plane tickets to Vancouver and Las Vegas, and parking at Los Angeles International Airport while on a trip to Tahiti.
During this same time period, Polston created a fictitious “educational consultant” job for his wife, Elsie Polston, who did not work at BGCT at that time.
The BGCT Board of Directors became suspicious of Polston during a routine audit in the spring of 2007. Polston resigned after being confronted by the board.
Deputy District Attorney Jan Christie of the White Collar Crime Team prosecuted this case.
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