HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. – A long-time Florida football coach has been arrested and charged with stealing more than $57,000 of the team’s money for personal use, deputies say.
What happened?
What we know:
Detectives with the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit began looking into the spending habits of 56-year-old Ivory Bernard Williams, of Lake Placid, back in February after receiving tips that there was something amiss with the team’s finances.
Officials say that Williams, who was president of the board and the sole person with access to the team’s account, refused to provide any financial records to the board when asked.
Williams was arrested on May 27. He faces charges related to second-degree grand theft and failure to maintain records of a charitable organization.
Williams posted a $70,000 bond the next day and was released.
$57,014.13 in misappropriated funds
By the numbers:
After looking into the team’s TD Bank account, investigators said they found that even though there had been $53,875.01 deposited, the account was overdrawn by more than $1,500. An $800 deposit on Dec. 22, 2023, brought the negative balance to $700.25 before the bank closed the account in January 2024 and sent the matter to collections.
Authorities say the second bank account was opened at Heartland National Bank in February 2024, and a total of $36,119.83 was deposited into that account.
Detectives said they examined the activity in both bank accounts and found numerous transactions that showed Williams was using the money for his personal expenses. Records show that among the payments made from the accounts were streaming and gaming services, cable/internet bills and the TikTok shop.
Records also revealed that Williams had written a $3,600 check to himself and made $21,541.36 in ATM withdrawals.
Deputies say the team also lost its nonprofit status during Williams’ tenure. In December 2024, the team had to file for a new nonprofit named “Highlands County Chargers Football and Cheer.”
The investigation revealed the total amount of donations collected from February 2022 to February 2025 was $89,994.84. The amount of misappropriated funds used by Williams totaled $57,014.13.
What happens now?
What’s next:
Detectives are investigating the other organizations Williams has been affiliated with in the past.
What you can do:
Anyone with information about Williams is asked to email [email protected] or call (863) 402-7840.
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
