Former president of Portneuf Valley Soccer Club embezzled over $219K, police say

POCATELLO — The former president of the Portneuf Valley Soccer Club has been charged after police say she embezzled over $219,000.

Cristie Stone is charged with one count of felony grand theft.

EastIdahoNews.com has reached out to Stone’s defense attorney, Richard Blok, for comment, but we have not heard back. If we receive a statement, we will update this article.

The current president of the Portneuf Valley Soccer Club (PVSC), Mary Keller, stated they will not be making comments about the case as it is still under investigation.

“Because the matter is under review by the prosecutor’s office, PVSC will not make comments on individuals, evidence or potential legal proceedings,” Keller said. “PVSC recognizes that all parties are entitled to due process and will not engage in further public discussion that could interfere with the investigative process.”

The case

According to court documents, on Feb. 25, 2025, a Pocatello Police officer reportedly spoke with the finance and office administrator for the PVSC, who stated that she had recently discovered a potential case of stolen funds.

RELATED | Prosecutor investigating big financial irregularities at Portneuf Valley Soccer Club

The woman stated that in October 2024, the club had to report a loss on its 2023 tax return for the “first time in her memory.”

Upon investigating the loss, the woman reportedly found numerous suspicious transactions from the club’s bank account at Idaho Central Credit Union. After confirming with the bank, the woman told the office that the account had only two authorized users: the former vice president and the current president at the time, Stone.

Police reports say Stone had been working as the club’s president since 2020.

The woman told police she discovered 16 suspicious transactions between January 2023 and April 2024, of which 15 were identified as withdrawals.

She also reportedly found that the club still had an open account at Citizens’ Community Bank (CCB), which was supposed to have been closed. This account is also said to have had suspicious transactions.

According to court records, the PVSC board met several times to discuss the suspicious transactions and even asked Stone about them directly. Stone reportedly had “varying explanations” and claimed that she had accidentally linked her personal credit card to the club’s bank account.

The woman then told the officer that the board had called an emergency meeting later that day to restrict or remove Stone as club president.

On March 18, the officer met with the office administrator again after she contacted law enforcement to report new information.

The woman reported that Stone had come to the PVSC that morning and dropped off a cashier’s check for $50,000 for “voluntary partial reimbursement of misappropriated funds.”

According to the officer, the memo on the check stated that it was for “Christie Stone Surgery.” Court documents say that Stone’s accountant mistakenly left this memo on the check and that Stone was scheduled for a procedure at a later date.

The woman provided the officer with a photocopy of the check and the receipt she had given Stone. She also confirmed that the money had been deposited into the PVSC bank account. On March 21, the officer was granted a search warrant to obtain the soccer club’s bank records.

The officer received the information one week later, which reportedly showed that the club’s funds were being transferred to an ICCU credit card account in Stone’s name.

On May 9, the officer presented a search warrant to the bank for records from Stone’s ICCU credit card account. They received the information on May 16, which reportedly showed that Stone had transferred $186,372.44 from the soccer club’s bank account to her own credit card account between January 2023 and April 2024, in 15 separate transactions.

The officer also reportedly found that the bank’s CCB account, which was supposed to be closed, had multiple transactions to a Venmo account owned by Stone.

Stone’s claims

On June 12, 2025, the officer called Stone to schedule an interview, and she agreed to speak with the officers the next day. The next morning, Stone called the officer to cancel the interview, saying that she had retained an attorney.

On June 24, the officer received a call from Stone’s attorney, Richard Blok, who asked for a quick brief of the reason for the interview. The officer explained the allegations, and Blok reportedly stated that Stone had “made some repayment” for these funds and would “be in a position to repay the rest as well,” according to court documents.

The officer told Blok that if Stone and the soccer club wanted to enter into a civil arrangement, they could do that, and it could be separate from a potential criminal prosecution. Block stated they would likely reach out to the club to discuss.

On August 29, the officer spoke with a representative from the club’s board, who said they did not reach an agreement with Stone or her attorney. The officer informed them that they would submit the case to a prosecutor for charging review.

Stone received a court summons on June 16, 2026, and is expected to appear for an arraignment on July 6. If convicted, she could face up to 14 years in prison.

Though Stone has been charged with this crime, it does not necessarily mean she committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.