The theft of $120,000 from the Tri Boro Youth Soccer Club offers an important lesson to other nonprofits, an Allentown attorney says.

Brian Farley of Lehigh Township pleaded guilty Aug. 26 to a felony charge of theft for taking approximately $120,000 from the soccer club while serving as treasurer, a position he held since 2006.

"There is a lesson here for all the clubs," Allentown criminal lawyer Tommaso Lonardo said last Thursday, after Farley made a public apology to the club.

That lesson is that one person should never be given sole responsibility for an organization's money.

"It's not an insult to someone to question them about the money," said Lonardo, who represented Tri Boro.

During the investigation, Tri Boro officials learned Farley had put all club bank accounts in his own name, which effectively barred other board members from having access, said Lonardo, who got involved at the request of club President Tino Babayan.

It was shortly after being elected club president last fall that Babayan decided to look into changing the club's structure and procedures. Not knowing any money was missing, Babayan invited Lonardo to a board meeting in January.

"I had a conversation [with Farley] about the finances and it didn't seem right," Lonardo said.

In March, Babayan filed theft reports with Whitehall police and the office of Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin.

Babayan and Lonardo commended Lehigh County Assistant District Attorney Steven Luksa and Whitehall Det. James Lucas for their support in the resolution of the case.

Farley, who was charged in July, agreed to plead guilty in exchange for no jail time. As part of the deal, he immediately paid $55,000 in restitution through a loan he obtained from his mother-in-law.

Theft cases such as this one "usually warrant a lot of jail time, like years," Lonardo said. The more money taken and the higher the number of victims, the longer the jail term.

Judge Kelly Banach was out of town last week and could not be reached for comment.

Lonardo said Banach was "not happy" with Farley's plea. Judges have the right to reject pleas. However, if his plea was rejected, the club would not receive the $55,000 – which officials have described as just less than 50 percent of the amount stolen.

According to Lonardo, Banach believed the plea sent a message that a person can buy his or her way out of jail with money. However, the judge – and Tri Boro officials – also understood that Farley had left the club with no money. The $55,000 represented a lifeline, Lonardo said.

With this in mind, Banach required Farley to make a public apology "at a location and time that as many people could be present as possible," Lonardo said. Tri Boro officials decided an appropriate time and place would be a soccer clinic last Thursday with Whitehall High School girls soccer coach George Romano. Many of the club's approximately 700 members attended, said Babayan.

Farley came alone and, before speaking, stood off by himself while soccer players clad in blue and white uniforms ran and played around him. No one approached him or spoke to him.

Not far from where he was standing, however, a woman pointed him out to three other adults. Occasionally someone whispered a comment such as, "That's him, over there."

"I can't say that I was surprised," said Tri Boro board member Melissa Ricks, a Northampton resident who directs the program for children under age 6.

Ricks, the mother of five children, three of whom are Tri Boro soccer players, said she had "struggles" with Farley when attempting to get bills paid for trophies.

Once they knew Farley would be charged, board members contacted those they dealt with frequently, such as trophy vendors and other suppliers, to let them know what they would hear in the news.

Ricks said the club received support from suppliers and other members of the public, many of whom wanted to make donations.

"We had a lot of support from the township, the [Whitehall-Coplay] school district, a lot of people," said Babayan.

Lonardo said club officials and members never really knew how much money the organization had. Now, however, bank statements, with account numbers redacted, are shared with all members.

"No one here is in it for the money. It never really dawned on them how much money they bring in," Lonardo said. "Now I think they're going to do pretty well. Now they realize how much money they were getting."

"We're calling this a new beginning, a new Tri Boro beginning," said Babayan, describing the clinic about to begin."

Right now I feel great. It was a difficult ride to get here but it's finally here."