Friday, December 18, 2009
STRUTHERS — The case of a former Springfield Local PTO treasurer accused of stealing from the organization will go to a grand jury.
Cheryl Blakeman, 37, of Columbiana Road, waived a preliminary hearing on Friday in Struthers Municipal Court. She appeared before Judge James R. Lanzo with her court-appointed attorney.
The felony theft case will now be bound over to a Mahoning County grand jury for a determination on whether there’s enough evidence for an indictment, which could lead to a trial.
Blakeman is accused of taking between $10,000 and $20,000 from the PTO during her four years as treasurer. New Middletown police have said she was in debt.
Police have said that Blakeman diverted money from the PTO account to her personal bank account while she was a teller at Huntington Bank.