A former high school basketball coach in Burbank is set to be arraigned later this month for the alleged theft of funds from the school where he worked.
Police reportedly opened an investigation in December of 2023 after the Burbank Unified School District contacted them about the possible theft of funds.
Investigators identified Austin Pope, a varsity basketball coach at John Burroughs High School, as the primary suspect. Police say that Burroughs has since been terminated from the position.
Over the next several months, police obtained witness and victim statements and reviewed financial records, revealing that Pope had allegedly misappropriated funds in his official capacity as a coach.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office referred the case to the Burbank City Attorney’s Office, which in turn filed a charge of theft by false pretenses exceeding $950.
The City Attorney’s Office has set Pope’s arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court for June 28, police said.
