Woman stole to feed gambling habit

The former vice president of the now-defunct King of the Rock wrestling club in Oak Harbor was convicted last week of stealing more than $1,500 from the org- anization.

A jury in Island County Superior Court found 34-year-old Jeannette Miracle guilty of first-degree theft after a two day trial.

Miracle had admitted to investigators that she used the club’s funds to finance her gambling addiction from 2004 to 2006. She told a detective that she spent between $200 to $1,500 per night playing blackjack at casinos with club funds, according to the state’s trial brief.

Also, Miracle admitted to the detective that she used the club’s funds to pay her personal bills and to finance Internet poker playing, the brief states.

New members of the club eventually noticed the financial irregularities and notified the police. King of the Rock was a youth wrestling program for boys ages 5 through 18 in Oak Harbor.

Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks said the case was complicated because it was a little difficult to prove who the victim was. The loosely-organized club raised money under the guise of a nonprofit, but it wasn’t registered with the IRS. Detectives couldn’t identity those who contributed to the club.

Island County Deputy Prosecutor Patrick McKenna said it’s difficult to know exactly how much money Miracle stole, but it’s “far in excess of $1,500.”

Miracle is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 10. She could face up to 90 days in jail.