The former finance director of the Northern Tasmanian Cricket Association will be sentenced next month for embezzling $90,500 from the organisation.
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Roy Frederick James, 53, of Westbury, maintained his plea of guilty yesterday in the Supreme Court in Launceston on one count of stealing.
The court heard James, formerly a well respected senior umpire, began stealing the money almost as soon as he was elected to the voluntary board position.
Up to 75 per cent of the money was used to fund a gambling habit that took in a trip to Hobart's Wrest Point Casino where James put himself up in a hotel.
The offending occurred in the year to September 2013.
The rorting came undone when James failed to table a finance report and avoided association meetings triggering suspicion among board members.
James finally met with the association's president Paul Clark and admitted the theft before handing himself in voluntarily to police.
Justice David Porter said it was proper that James, who has no relevant criminal history, be held in custody until his sentencing on April 2.