A Perrysburg school employee was arrested amidst allegations that he issued checks from Perrysburg school
district to repay money stolen from Bowling Green Bobcat Athletic Boosters.
Eric E. Whitson, 30, was arrested Wednesday in connection with a Wood County Prosecutor’s Office
investigation into money reported missing by the BG boosters, Prosecutor Paul Dobson said during a
mid-day news conference Thursday.
Whitson is charged with two fourth-degree felonies for theft, each punishable by up to 18 months in
prison. He was arraigned in Perrysburg Municipal Court Thursday afternoon and had bond set at $80,000
with no 10 percent allowed. Whitson is represented by attorney Peter Halleck, according to court staff.

Whitson allegedly wrote two checks totaling about $80,000 on Feb. 28 from the Perrysburg school district
to the BG athletic boosters. He is an employee of the Perrysburg school treasurer’s office and was
treasurer of the BG boosters group for several years, Dobson said.
"It appears at least at these initial stages that he was taking unauthorized funds from the Bowling
Green booster club … and he utilized the Perrysburg funds in order to replenish that booster club fund
when it became apparent that a new treasurer was going to be appointed," Dobson said.
"It is our speculation that he did that in order to even those (BG boosters) books," Dobson
said later.
Whitson would face up to three years in prison if convicted of both charges.
A Perrysburg Schools employee since 2004, Whitson handled accounts receivable and student activity
accounts and was put on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, the district announced
Thursday morning, adding that it is participating with the prosecutor’s investigation and will not
comment on the case.
The district’s news release indicated that it is audited each year, with another scheduled in October. An
audit last year revealed no discrepancies or irregularities, and the district last fall received the
Auditor of State Award for having clean reports.
Whitson was taken into custody Wednesday at the district’s administrative offices at the Commodore
Building. Dobson said Whitson’s home was searched, but declined to comment further on details of the
investigation, including how extensively Perrysburg’s accounts have been reviewed.
"I can’t tell you anything about the ongoing investigation at this point," Dobson said.
A report from Bowling Green police indicates officers assisted the Prosecutor’s Office in a search
Thursday morning at 504 N. Wintergarden Road. That property is registered to Edward C. Whitson and
Debbie M. Whitson.