UPDATED: Former Coach Kurt Virgin Charged with Swindling School District

For two years, investigators say former boys basketball and soccer coach Kurt Virgin was skimming money from sports camp registration fees and team fundraisers.

After a months-long investigation, the Dakota County Attorney's office on Thursday charged the 60-year-old Eagan resident with six felony counts of theft by swindle. A single count of theft by swindle carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

The school district put Virgin on leave late last year. .  But the criminal complaint reveals that the well-known coach was under scrutiny as early as Nov. 2011.

Last fall, school district officials allegedly discovered flyers for one of the camps left by Virgin on a school printer, investigators said. Some flyers requested that parents make payments for the camps directly to Virgin. Others asked parents to send payments to the high school.

School district rules dictate that camps can be run in two different ways. Camp directors can run them separately from the district, in which case the director is responsible for fees associated with the camps. Camps can also be hosted by the district, in which case camp proceeds and expenses are solely the responsibility of the district.

After finding the flyers, district officials determined that Virgin was using both options simultaneously to operate his camps, police said. The scheme allowed Virgin to use school facilities for free, while keeping money from the checks made payable to him, police said. He also received a salary from the school district for his role as a camp manager.

Investigators say school officials met with Virgin last November, at which point he allegedly admitted he had been improperly using school funds for personal uses.

Virgin also stole money raised during annual soccer and basketball team fundraisers, according to the criminal complaint.

According to the complaint, Virgin is accused of taking $16,595.42 from registration fees and $12,589 from team fundraisers, for a total loss to the school district of $29,184.42.

“Financial crimes of this nature are very troubling," Dakota County Attorney Jim Backstrom wrote  press release. Since 2006, we have charged 22 adults in Dakota County with major economic crimes in excess of $50,000 and 8 cases of thefts from schools or youth sporting organizations (only 1 of which exceeded $50,000)."

School District 196 Director of Secondary Education Mark Parr acknowledged the investigation, but declined to comment on the impact Virgin had during his tenure as a coach. The district does not have a separation agreement with Virgin, Parr said.

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