The former director of the Centennial Ice Arena was charged Tuesday with embezzling about $15,600 from the nonprofit, which allegedly included payments at a strip club in Three Forks.
Sean Michael Gilmore, 37, was charged with one count of embezzlement exceeding $10,000, a felony. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
Gilmore was fired by the board of directors of Centennial last week following his arrest in connection with the embezzlement charge.
Centennial Ice Board President Monica Anderson called a Yellowstone County deputy to the arena Oct. 11 after discovering multiple unauthorized transactions on the company's bank account and debit cards, according to a charging document filed by Yellowstone Deputy County Attorney Victoria Callender.
Board members handed over multiple documents, including bank statements documenting withdrawals and a flash drive that contained communications between Gilmore and a woman employed by the Teasers strip club in Three Forks, according to court documents.
Deputies then went to Gilmore's home, arrested him and took him to the Yellowstone County jail for booking. While there, he told deputies that he used ice arena money to pay for groceries and other necessities for his family, according to charging documents. When asked about the strip club employee, he said he was "just helping a friend," according to documents.
A deputy then called the club and spoke with the employee, who told him Gilmore was a regular who spent a lot of money there, according to charging documents.
Gilmore is expected to make his first court appearance Oct. 28, according to the Yellowstone County Clerk's Office.
Related: Centennial Ice Arena director fired following arrest on suspicion of felony theft
