Crime & Safety

Plea deal mulled in Healdsburg Youth Soccer case

Sonoma County judge grants Kyle Joseph Hoffman another week to consider deal offered by District Attorney's office.

A Sonoma County judge on Monday granted former Healdsburg Youth Soccer League an extra week to consider if he would plead guilty to charges he from the league during the past three years.

Presiding Superior Court Judge Ken Gnoss agreed to continue Monday's hearing a week to Monday, May 16, at 8:30 a.m. on a request from Hoffman's attorney George Arack.

Arack said Hoffman needed the extra week to consider an offer from Chief Deputy Sonoma County District Attorney Bill Brockley.

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Arack later added that Hoffman also needed the extra time to see if he could arrange to pay possible full restitution to the league in advance of the plea -- a move that Arack said could likely be helpful to Hoffman in the outcome of the sentencing.

"We think that could possibly affect [the issue of] his jail time," Arack said. "There is a question of whether he could pay restitution if he were in jail."

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Arack said Hoffman, 37, was employed at a "corporation" but he declined to say which one.

Brockley said he has offered to request at sentencing that Hoffman serve no jail time -- or probation -- in exchange for Hoffman's pleading guilty to three counts of felony grand theft, one each for 2008, 2009 and 2010.

As it stands, however, Hoffman could be sentenced to a maximum of nine months in jail, Brockley said.

Brockley said he would also drop the other three counts of writing fraudulent checks because those charges were "redundant."

Hoffman would still be required to pay full restitution to the league, Brockley said.

If Hoffman choses not to plead guilty, he would be scheduled for a preliminary hearing in preparation for a trial, Brockley said.


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