A former Chelsea High School football coach was convicted oflarceny yesterday for withdrawing thousands of dollars from theteam's booster club account to pay for personal expenses, accordingto the Suffolk district attorney's office.
A Suffolk Superior Court jury found James Atkins, 43, of Revere guilty of five counts of larceny over $250 and one count of larcenyby check, Daniel F. Conley's office said. Atkins was acquitted of asixth charge of larceny over $250.
His sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. today.
Prosecutors showed that Atkins, a Chelsea police sergeantsuspended from duty and a former Medford High School football coach,used his position as coach of the Chelsea team and president of thatteam's booster club to withdraw nearly $10,000 from the team's bankaccount between 2004 and 2007.
Withdrawal records indicated that Atkins withdrew $500 at an ATMacross from a Revere strip club; made three-figure withdrawals nearthe Foxwoods casino in Connecticut and the Seabrook Greyhound Parkdog racing track in New Hampshire; and paid a $634 bar tab at theChampions Sports Bar at the Marriott Copley Place hotel in Boston.
In January 2007, at a meeting with Chelsea High School parentsand the school's athletic director, Frank DePatto, Atkins agreed torepay the $8,200 in installments, prosecutors said. Instead, Atkinslater asked for a charitable donation from a respected communitymember to put toward his outstanding debt, prosecutors said.
'It is always difficult when a police officer is found to haveviolated the law,' Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes said in astatement.
Atkins's lawyer, Douglas Louison of Boston, maintained hisclient's innocence.
'I think every witness who testified said they were proud to knowand be involved with Jim Atkins,' Louison said. 'No justice is doneby convicting him of stealing money from the booster club he createdand funded with his own personal monies. He put in over $50,000 ofhis own money into the program. It defies logic to say he stolemoney from the program.'
