LOCK HAVEN - Jury selection began Friday in the trial of Kimberly Coleman. Her son, former Clinton County Commissioner Adam Coleman, will be tried in July.
The dates were set yesterday after Clinton County Judge J. Michael Williamson ruled the trials of the two would be held separately.
The Colemans are charged in connection with the misappropriation of funds from the YMCA and a special Elks Club grant for children. They were arrested along with former YMCA director Jeremiah Clark - Adam Coleman and Clark for stealing the funds and Kim Coleman for attempting to cover up her son's involvement in the crimes.
Clark, 32, already has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the case and is serving an 11 1/2- to 23-month sentence at the county correctional facility.
Kim Coleman, who rejected a plea agreement, is slated to appear for trial Tuesday and Wednesday and Adam Coleman is scheduled for trial in July, following his jury selection July 13.
Williamson is expected to preside over both trials.
Adam Coleman's attorney is Robert Englert Jr. and Kimberly Coleman's attorney is Jacob Gurwitz.
Both submitted similar arguments concerning a request for suppression of evidence, and if Judge Williamson's response to Englert is any indication, that request will be denied for Gurwitz as well.
Both Colemans have remained free on unsecured bail since their arrests, which followed a lengthy, statewide grand jury investigation.
Clark allegedly schemed to use his official position with the YMCA to misappropriate at least $133,000 in agency funds between 2006 and 2010, allegedly forging the names of YMCA board members on checks and trust fund documents, fabricating receipts and invoices to support those bogus checks and using agency credit cards and funds for a wide variety of personal expenses.
Adam Coleman is accused of conspiring with Clark in some of the thefts, including the fabrication of an invoice for $1,465 in landscaping work paid by the YMCA to Coleman's Landscaping, and emptying $5,300 from a special Elks grant account for an after-school program.
Kimberly Coleman is accused of conspiring with her son and Clark to fabricate an invoice for landscaping services that was allegedly used to divert $1,465 in YMCA funds to pay Adam Coleman's Country Club bill.
Additionally, she allegedly made false statements to investigators from the Attorney General's Office and destroyed evidence that had been subpoenaed.
Adam Coleman is charged with one count of theft by unlawful taking, a third-degree felony punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine. He is also charged with one count each of theft by deception and criminal conspiracy, both first-degree misdemeanors that are each punishable by up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
