Civic club member admits guilt in case of stolen $365,000 from fair
Published 9:32 am Wednesday, September 30, 2020
A former president of an Alabama civic club will avoid prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $365,000 from a county fair.
Court records show Stephen L. Singleton, 72, pleaded guilty earlier this month to stealing from the Cullman County Fair Association over a seven-year period ending in 2019.
Convicted of aggravated theft by deception, a judge ordered Singleton to repay $365,291 and spend five years on probation, records showed. He could have received a jail term ranging from 10 years to life for the felony.
The Cullman Times reported that Singleton was a member of the Cullman Lions Club, which sponsors the annual fair, and the group’s website showed he served as president in the late 1990s.
The club released a statement in January saying it had uncovered the misappropriation of a large amount of money. Singleton was arrested in February.