The former head of the UW-Madison chapter of the Black Student Union, Christopher Loving, appeared in court Thursday to answer charges of misdemeanor theft after allegedly embezzling $1,395.68 of the group's funds.
Loving failed to appear at his initial court appearance Monday and subsequently became the subject of an arrest warrant.
Loving is charged with theft in a business setting less than $2,500 as well as resisting or obstructing an officer in an incident on July 14, 2004 and could face up to a $10,000 fine and nine months in jail.
The alleged embezzlement occurred between December 4, 2003 and June 2, 2004, the police report said.
According to an anonymous witness in court, Loving was granted a signature bond-a promise to appear at all future court dates- and the warrant was cancelled.
Court records stated Loving stood mute in court, resulting in a plea of not guilty for all misdemeanor charges against him.
During his tenure as head of the BSU, Loving had sole authority over the organization's bank account according to Roxanne Allison, Assistant Director of Admissions for UW-Madison and BSU advisor.
According to UW Police Detective Brett Fernholz, Loving reported he spent approximately $1,500 of the organization's money and expressed his regret for the theft.
\Christopher did a lot of positive things for the black community,"" said Laurie Berquam, assistant dean of students who was involved in the investigation. ""He welcomed black students, helped them get involved in campus events and created ties between BSU and other student organizations.""
""I do think this is a good wake-up call. Responsibility has to be taken for these events. This is an opportunity to check the structures of our student organizations,"" Berquam continued.
According to Director of Student Organizations Office Yvonne Fangmeyer, the Black Student Union said they hope to recover the lost money from Loving. The group needed the $1,500 Loving allegedly embezzled to pay two performers who appeared for the BSU last February.
""The BSU has a really strong board and I know fund-raisers are their first plan of action this fall,"" Fangmeyer said. ""Student organizations should require two signatures on any checks and are discouraged from using debit cards. We can instruct student orgs, but we can't implement any action ourselves. It's really in the hands of the students to manage their organization's finances responsibly.""
Loving is scheduled to appear in Dane County Court September 30.
