The head of a competitive cheerleading and dance group in Hagerstown, Md., claims that police are out to get her.
In 2005, Anna L. Miles, 35, was arrested for writing bad checks from the account of her cheerleading club, the Hagerstown Heat All-Stars.
She was charged with forgery and theft, but the charges did not stick.
Police arrested her again in 2006. She organized an illegal bingo night and used the $2,000 in proceeds to repay a mother who bailed her out of jail, police said.
The bingo night was billed as a fundraiser for the cheerleading club. Bingo and tip-jar events can legally be held only to benefit nonprofit and charitable organizations, Washington County Gaming Office Director James B. Hovis testified during the trial. The Hagerstown Heat is a for-profit organization owned by Miles.
The case is currently before a judge.
Miles' lawyer called the case a "witch hunt" and said prosecutors pursued the illegal gambling charges to get even.
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Prosecutors vehemently deny that charge.
The judge is expected to rule in about a month.
If Miles is found guilty, she faces up to five years in jail and $4,000 in fines plus possible additional jail time for violating probation.
