But that is what an Indiana police officer is claiming, who nevertheless was charged with eight counts of theft.
Clarksville police officer Joe Hoskins, 36, reportedly stole $5,800 from a youth football league and gave the explanation that he didn’t mean to do it, claiming it was just a mistake. Or eight mistakes as he is accused of using online banking to transfer money from the league to his account on eight separate occasions.
His superiors did not buy the story and placed him on unpaid suspension, accusing him of conduct unbecoming of an officer and unlawful removal of funds. And Clark County prosecutor Jeremy Mull charged him with eight counts of theft, resulting in his arrest.
Hoskins was the treasurer for the Clarksville Little Generals Youth Football League, which gave him access to the league’s money earned through ticket sales, concession sales and fundraisers.
[__WDRB reports__](http://www.wdrb.com/story/36421802/clarksville-police-officer-accused-of-stealing-from-youth-football-league-claims-it-was-a-mistake) that from June 2016 to February 2017 Hoskins transferred a staggering $5,800 to his own personal bank account through online banking, perhaps thinking nobody would notice.
But in July 2017 the president of the league noticed and confronted Hoskins about the missing money. Hoskins returned the money a month later.
But that was not enough to stop the district attorney’s office from launching an investigation.
The misappropriation of funds that Hoskins exhibited prompted Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull to file eight counts of theft against Hoskins.
“All of the evidence presented to me in this case is that these were initiated on purpose using a phone or a computer. Paying back money after you’re caught stealing it is no defense if that indeed happened. Stealing or embezzling money is not a situation where you’re allowed to just take it, take it, take it until you’re caught,” he said.
Mull examined bank records and discovered that the money was intentionally transferred to Hoskins’s account over time. The money was transferred on a total of eight different transactions. And all of them were done by mistake, Hoskins claimed.
The first was for $500 and went towards Hoskins’s car payment. After that the transaction amounts grew.
The next court date for Hoskins is Nov. 7th.
