An Akron show promoter has surrendered to police on charges of grand theft.
Byron Sabree was booked into the Summit County Jail on Wednesday morning. He is accused of using the popularity of the hit television show “Glee” to embezzle more than $54,000 from a show choir account.
Sabree, accompanied by his attorney, Bob Meeker, surrendered to police Wednesday morning, according to Akron Police Lt. Rick Edwards.
A warrant had been issued for his arrest last week.
The Medina High School Show Choir is believed to be one of the victims of the scheme.
In April, parents of the choir members hoped to treat the students to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform on a national stage in New York City.
At a cost of $630 per student, parents pitched in their own money and held fundraisers to be able to send them to Radio City Music Hall for the competition, which was being promoted by an Akron company called Mind’s Eye Conceptions.
“They are extraordinary kids, and so to have that chance to be able to do that on a national stage was really an opportunity that the kids were excited about and, I would say, their director was excited about,” said Shelly Rae, a parent and officer with Harmony Helpers, a choir booster club in Medina.
Police say the competition was promoted to 22 choirs from 19 different schools as far away as California.
Lt. Edwards says money for the trip was paid into an account from Nov. 2010 through Feb. 2011. It was supposed to pay for their accommodations, food and a Broadway show.
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article courtesy of Fox8Cleveland.com
