Former Apple Valley teachers association president sentenced to jail time, ordered to pay
A former Apple Valley Unified Teachers Association president was sentenced to jail time and ordered to pay nearly a quarter million dollars in restitution, according to court documents.
Kristy Marie Croft was sentenced to 270 days in county jail and ordered her to pay restitution of $227,613.14. A Victorville judge sentenced Croft, who pleaded no contest to embezzlement and grand theft related to misappropriation of association funds during her time in leadership, court records show.
Croft is ordered to report to Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center by Friday, May 10, with her sentence completed by May 10, 2026, according to court documents.
The Apple Valley Unified Teachers Association funds are not under the Apple Valley Unified School District’s authority and are subject only to union oversight.
Teachers association
Croft’s sentencing was made known by a letter to association members by association President Karen Sabers, who was appointed to replace Croft by the executive board in May 2022.
“As you may remember, when we discovered the issue in 2022, AVUTA took immediate action to not only report it to appropriate authorities but also put into place internal and external safeguards to ensure that this kind of thing can never happen again,” Sabers stated in the letter.
‘Significant financial irregularities’
A 2022 letter from the Apple Valley Unified Teachers Association to colleagues alleged that over the last four years, Croft pocketed nearly $225,000 from the organization.
The teachers association letter stated that “over the past few months,” it had come to the attention of its executive board that for the past four years, there had been “significant financial irregularities and improper association expenditures” by Croft.
Croft stepped down in April 2022 due to “personal reasons,” according to President Sabers.
Following a forensic audit by the California Teachers Association, the Apple Valley Unified Teachers Association discovered that the financial irregularities, including “extensive personal use of association funds,” amounted to approximately $225,000, the local teachers association said.
“Today, in accordance with our insurance policies, AVUTA turned the matter over to law enforcement for investigation and potential prosecution,” the letter stated.
Croft could not be reached for comment at that time.
Moving forward
Sabers added that the association is grateful to law enforcement for their support in the matter, and especially to association members, whose vigilance and testimony helped bring this to light and a conclusion.
“AVUTA is even stronger today, and we are glad we are now past this as we move forward as a union to improve teaching and learning conditions for AVUSD students and educators,” Sabers said.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Former Apple Valley teachers association president sentenced to jail
