QUINCY — The owner of a local youth basketball training program was sentenced Friday to 270 days in jail by Judge Robert Adrian after pleading guilty to theft over $10,000 earlier this year.
Joel A. Box was arrested Aug. 14, 2019, in Rockford after an investigation by the Quincy Police Department and Adams County Sheriff’s Department determined multiple people paid for basketball lessons and camps that were never provided.
A negotiated plea entered in March called for Box to be sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $41,612.
But following a sentencing hearing, Adrian ordered Box to serve a minimum of 90 consecutive days, with the remainder of the 270-day sentence stayed. Box received credit for three days served.
Adams County Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck said there were between 40 and 50 victims in Adams County alone and what made the crime “especially heinous” was that the victims were common families who had to work extra jobs or scrape together enough money to offer their children the opportunity to attend one of Box’s programs.
Therefore, Keck said her office recommended Box serve 90 days in jail.
“This is the type of case where there does need to be a deterrent,” Keck said.
Quincy Police Officer J.D. Summers testified that phone records showed Box was using the money to pay for a gambling addiction.
Adrian ordered the probation period to be the maximum of 36 months to give as much time as possible for Box to pay the remaining balance of roughly $31,000. However, Adrian said he was skeptical that Box could pay full restitution in that time frame.
“So what we’ve got is a whole bunch of people out there who threw their money away, and they’re going to be disappointed,” Adrian said.
A request for public service work was not included in the plea agreement to allow more time for Box to pay the money back, Adrian added.
Box also was ordered to enter a gambling addiction program. He will report to jail at 2 p.m. Sept. 20.