A volunteer ticket seller allegedly stuffed ticket money in her bra at Villages High School basketball games.
Cheryl Velazquez, 53, of Wildwood, is charged with felony fraud in the theft of $909 from the sports events cash box at two games at the high school campus at Middleton, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Velazquez, who has previously volunteered her time to work football games and basketball games, is suspected of taking the money on Feb. 12 and 20.
The count of tickets sold and cash received was correct for each event Velazquez worked, so there was never a question of the cash box being short money from the amount of tickets sold, the report said. Each ticket was $9. Tickets are not given to an attendant at the door of the basketball games to enter, they are just given out to make sure the amount sold is the amount of money received for the game.
A witness told the high school principal that Velazquez had been taking ticket money and sticking it in her bra. Video surveillance confirmed that appeared to be happening.
A deputy went to speak to Velazquez on Thursday at her place of employment. She claimed she had been advised to “to put money aside so that she was not withholding a lot of money during the ticket sales,” the report said. Velazquez claimed she had nowhere to put the money and that her bra is where she “typically keeps things of value to her.”
She was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $5,000 bond.