Woman who stole nearly $1 million from Ann Arbor Amateur Hockey Association now headed to prison

Kimberly Knight is headed to prison.

On Monday, the Chelsea woman who served as the bookkeeper for the Ann Arbor Amateur Hockey Association was ordered to serve two to 10 years and two to 15 years in prison.

Circuit Judge Melinda Morris ordered the sentences to be served concurrently.

Knight, 46, took more than $934,000 between 2005 and 2007 from a special fund the hockey league established to build an independent ice rink. A lengthy probe by Pittsfield Township police revealed the money was instead spent on lavish family vacations, jewelry and vehicles.

Knight pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzlement in June 2009 and was ordered to pay more than $700,000 in restitution.

Morris delayed sentencing for 12 months - it was to occur next month - to give Knight an opportunity to pay portions of the money back. Court records indicate she paid a $75,000 lump sum to avoid jail last summer and has since paid $1,500 a month to county probation officials.

But several delays in producing tax records ordered by the court, and recent unrelated fraud charges tried Morris’ patience, said Mike LeGris, Knight’s attorney.

Knight was scheduled to appear in court Monday for the continuation of an evidentiary hearing that began in May and centered on her assets and her family’s assets. Despite multiple warnings, Knight didn’t produce documents that included 2009 tax returns for her husband’s business, Grant’s Towing, until last Friday - roughly two weeks after Morris’ final deadline, LeGris said. 

The judge opted to sentence Knight at the top of state sentencing guidelines at Monday's hearing.

“The judge felt that what she did was not a good-faith effort to comply with her order,” LeGris said. “(Knight) knew this was a possibility, but it still came as somewhat of a surprise.”

LeGris said Knight was not emotional and did not say anything of significance to Morris before sentencing. 

A few AAAHA members and their attorneys were in attendance, but could not immediately be reached for comment this morning.

The organization remains based out of the Ann Arbor Ice Cube and filed a civil suit against Knight to recoup its losses.

Knight, who filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in May, must still pay $585,504 in restitution to AAAHA, and another $50,000 to the organization’s insurance company, LeGris said.

But he said that won't happen within the prescribed five years that probation officials initially designed because of the prison sentence.

Knight is also scheduled to stand trial this fall for allegedly writing bad checks to the Dexter Pharmacy in February, records show.

Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.