As the sun went down last Thursday evening, hundreds of parents and young athletes gathered at Whitehall High School for the Tri Boro Family Fun Night.

Standing at one corner of the lighted soccer field, club President Tino Babayan took the microphone. His routine announcements could barely be heard over the lively chatter of hundreds of soccer players, ages 4-15, and family members gathered for a clinic that night with high school girls coach George Romano.

"Now I'd like to turn this over to our former treasurer, Brian Farley," Babayan said.

The conversations stopped abruptly.

Only the sound of the high school marching band practicing in the distance broke the silence as Farley, a resident of Lehigh Township, walked onto the track and took the microphone.

"First, I'd like to say how sorry I am for what I did and the pain I caused many people here tonight," said Farley, who served as treasurer of the youth soccer club starting in 2006.

Farley was charged June 13 with one count each of theft and receiving stolen property, both felonies. He pleaded guilty Aug. 26 to the theft of approximately $120,000 from the club while the receiving stolen property charge was withdrawn, according to Lehigh County court records.

As part of a plea bargain, Farley repaid the club $55,000 via a loan from his mother-in-law in exchange for a sentence that included no jail time. He was sentenced to five years probation and 100 hours of community service and ordered to make regular payments toward an additional $64,000 in restitution.

Court records show Farley made a $50 restitution payment Sept. 24. Another $50 payment is due Oct. 26.

Judge Kelly L. Banach also ordered Farley to make a public apology at an event where a majority of soccer club members would be present.

"There's no excuse for what I did and I'm just grateful for the opportunity to apologize," said Farley, dressed in jeans and a blue T-shirt. "I'm glad that the club is able to continue. They provide a wonderful service for the community and all the kids involved."

Farley apologized again and repeated his statement that there is no excuse for his actions.

"I'm a parent and you try to be a good example to your children and what I did just was one of the worst examples you could ever set for your children to see," said Farley, whose kids participated in Tri Boro soccer when they were young. "I'm extremely sorry and embarrassed for everything that happened."

He closed with a quick "thank you" and handed the mic back to Babayan. In the distance, one person clapped twice and then stopped. After a pause, the rest of the crowd joined in with restrained applause.

After his speech, Farley told reporters he used to work on Wall Street and then for a health insurance company. He lost his Wall Street job and then his house in 2007. After losing the health insurance company job in 2008, he worked part time as a bus driver for the Northampton Area School District.

"When this came out, understandably, they didn't want me around," said Farley, adding the school district told him he "needed to find different employment."

He applied for a job with a construction company that would not even accept his application because of his felony record, he said.

"It's tough to get hired without anything on your record but this just makes it much more difficult," said Farley, who hopes to get a job so he can make bigger restitution payments.

He said he used the money he stole to pay household bills.

"I'm not stupid," said Farley. "I knew eventually this would come out ... I was hoping to try to pay it back before all of this came out but, working part time, it just wasn't going to happen."