Logansport baseball league president, girlfriend facing felony theft charges

A Logansport couple was arrested recently on felony theft charges after they were accused of allegedly stealing funds from the local Babe Ruth youth baseball league. 

Christopher Shank, 45, and Erica Huddleston, 44, were each charged with Theft, where the value of property is between $750 and $50,000, a Level 6 Felony. 

A probable cause affidavit stated the initial request for an investigation first started on June 18, when the Logansport police sergeant was assisting the league while Shanks served as league president. The officer forwarded the request to law enforcement to avoid conflict of interest. 

When a detective with the Indiana State Police Peru Bureau of Investigations interviewed the treasurer of the league bank documents were provided, detailing transactions that were allegedly abnormal. 

The treasurer admitted to officers she had not been doing her job very well and noted several ATM withdrawals and account activity that was outside of the season schedule. The treasurer stated that for her job, she would obtain payments from parents and sponsors and give them to Shank. The treasurer further told police when she told Shank about the investigation over the phone he allegedly began to cry and feared going to jail. 

On June 25, the detective conducted an interview with Shank and Huddleston separately. During the interview Shank brought a bank bag that contained two checks and ten $100 bills and allegedly admitted to withdrawing money from the ATM for personal use. Shank said the reason he had taken the money was for medical issues that caused financial burden. 

During the interview, Shank further stated he believes he took $1,229.50 from the account and that he intended to pay the money back. Shank told police the bank bag he brought during the interview contained payments from parents for their kids' $70 enrollment fee in the league. Shank allegedly said the money in the bank bag was taken from his personal account after he and his girlfriend began using the money for themselves. 

A second interview was conducted with both Huddleston and Shank, where Huddleston also allegedly admitted to taking money from the league. The couple further admitted to conspiring together to commit theft. 

Warrants are issued for the arrests of the couple.