Woman Stole $19,000 from Volleyball Club, Deputies Say

BRADENTON, FL — A volunteer with the RAVE Volleyball Club faces scheme to defraud charges after Manatee County deputies say she stole an estimated $19,000 over the course of several months.

The arrest of Jennifer Venditti, 42, was announced by the sheriff’s office Thursday. She is accused of taking the money from the club between September 2015 and April 2016 while she served as a volunteer with the Ranch Academy of Volleyball Excellence, the agency wrote in an email to media.

"Venditti deposited checks from Ranch Academy into her personal bank account and made several unauthorized ATM withdrawals from the Ranch Academy bank account," the email said.

The Lakewood Ranch-based club serves the Bradenton and Sarasota areas. Its teams practice at Lakewood Ranch High School, according to its website. The club is open to all ages and was created in 2015 by Perri Hankins “to develop young female athletes in the game of volleyball.”

Venditti was brought into custody on Wednesday and was later released on $20,000 bond, jail records indicate.

Booking photo courtesy of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office