Former Town of Berwick recreation liaison Rhonda Burtner pleaded guilty Dec. 8 to the theft of just over $76,000 from sports leagues in Berwick.

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office received a complaint of a theft on May 6. She turned herself in on a warrant Oct. 28 and pleaded guilty last week to a single charge of theft over $1,500.

Following a forensic audit, it was determined that Burtner stole $76,087 over a period of time. The money was in the amounts of $51,712 from checking accounts, $15,401 in Discover card charges, $2,719 in fuel purchases on the Discover card and another $6,225 in questionable charges on the Discover card, according to an affidavit filed with 16th Judicial District Court.

Several sports leagues fall under the auspices of the Berwick recreation liaison’s purview including basketball, softball, volleyball, pickleball and football, the affidavit notes. Berwick has no formal recreation department, so the liaison is merely a town employee who cooperates with citizen leagues in the area.

No plea agreement was made, and no deal was struck, according to Berwick town attorney Allen McElroy. He said this morning that the District Attorney's office is planning to request the judge require Burtner to make full restitution plus pay court costs and the cost of the audit. He added that he hopes she makes restitution before her March 14 sentencing.

Burtner’s attorney Thomas Mahfouz of Morgan City had no comment this morning.