Crime & Safety

Former Point Boro Soccer Assn. President Accused of Stealing from Assn.

Stephen M. Inneo charged in grand jury indictment with computer theft and theft

 

The former president of the Point Pleasant Soccer Association is charged with stealing from the association while he was its president, according to an Ocean County grand jury indictment.

Stephen M. Inneo, 50, a resident on George Street, Point Borough, was indicted last week by a grand jury on charges of computer theft and theft by deception, according to the indictment.

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Inneo perpetrated a scheme from January 2007 to November 2010 during which he accessed the network of OceanFirst Bank in order to steal more than $5,000 from the account of the Point Pleasant Soccer Association, the indictment states.

Inneo is free on $15,000 bail. The indictment did not provide any further details.

Find out what's happening in Point Pleasantwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Inneo said in a brief phone interview on Thursday night that he is applying for Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI), which is a program for first-time offenders that allows them to have their record expunged if they make restitution and meet other program requirements. The program is designed to reduce the number of cases clogging up court calendars.

EJ Leahy, the current association president, said Inneo resigned as association president in early 2011. He said that because the matter is pending, he cannot discuss any facts of the case. However, he stressed that the association is running the soccer program normally and is now holding

Leahy also released a prepared statement from the association which states:

"Point Pleasant Soccer Association (PPSA) is working with the authorities to resolve this unfortunate matter in the appropriate way. In 2011, PPSA implemented several improvements to our internal control structure, which we believe will make us a stronger organization overall.

"Currently we have over 550 young athletes participating in a robust soccer program and expect to grow in 2012. With the continued support of our dedicated volunteers and generous sponsors, PPSA will continue to be a positive part of our community.

The statement ends with: "Register now for Fall 2012 at PointSoccer.org. Point Pleasant Soccer Association ptsoccer2007@aol.com"

Inneo, who is married with three daughters, has been heavily involved in volunteering as a coach and official with the local soccer, baseball and soccer programs for Borough children for many years, including coaching his own daughter's softball team.

For example, he had been director of the Babe Ruth Softball Division of the Point Pleasant Youth Baseball & Softball Association in 2009, according to zoominfo.com.

The association's Facebook page states:

"PPSA is a volunteer non-profit corporation, run by an elected Board and members, and affiliated with the New Jersey State Youth Soccer. Currently, the PPSA consists of 50 teams and about 600 athletes.

"The main purpose of our Association is to provide children with a place to play soccer with quality instruction, while stressing the concepts of team play and good sportsmanship. We accomplish this through different divisions based on the player's grade in school."


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