Prosecutor: Softball Coach Gets 5 Years’ Probation and $12K Restitution for Stealing Team Money

A Monmouth County youth softball coach has been sentenced to five years’ probation after he pleaded guilty to pilfering thousands of dollars of the team’s travel and tournament cost funds, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Wednesday.

Michael Lane, 54, of Neptune Township, was sentenced on Friday, Oct. 14 to five years’ probation and an order to pay $12,000 in restitution to be split among 10 families whose daughters played on the team.

Lane pleaded guilty on April 4 to: third-degree theft by failure to make lawful disposition of property, following an investigation by detectives from the Tinton Falls Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The case background …

Lane, in his capacity as the coach for the Monmouth Surf softball team, a youth sports travel team since 2013, received money from players to cover traveling expenses and tournament costs.

But on July 3, 2019, parents for the players were informed by Lane he misused the funds given to him and the money was no longer available.

He then informed parents he would pay back the funds but the players’ participation would have to be cancelled. When money was not paid back, parents reported the crime to authorities. The ensuing investigation by Tinton Falls police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, revealed that Lane did not use the funds for the softball team, but, instead, cashed the checks that he had gotten from the parents and used the money for personal expenses for himself and his family.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office