A former president of the State Farm Holiday Classic is accused of stealing over $100,000 from the nonprofit organization that runs the annual high school basketball tournament in Bloomington-Normal.
Kyle W. Myers, 39, of Normal, pleaded not guilty during a court appearance Friday. He's charged with theft of more than $100,000 and less than $500,000 over a two-year timeframe (April 2022 through July 2024). The Class 1 felony carries a possible sentence of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.
Myers was released from detention while awaiting trial, with no objections from prosecutors.
A grand jury returned an indictment following an Aug. 20, 2024, police report and investigation by the Bloomington Police Department. Normal Police were the arresting agency, responding to a BPD warrant.
Details of the alleged scheme have not been released and were not discussed during Friday's short court appearance.
Myers is represented by defense attorney Joshua Rinker. WGLT has requested a comment from Rinker.
WGLT first reported suspected theft at the State Farm Holiday Classic in January. Tournament officials confirmed they notified law enforcement officials of "suspected unauthorized, inappropriate, or fraudulent transactions resulting in the loss of significant tournament revenue over a two-year time frame."
The Classic, played annually the week after Christmas, began in 1975. Billed as one of the largest co-ed high school basketball tournaments in the country, it hosts 64 teams with games played at Illinois Wesleyan University and Bloomington, Normal Community and Normal West high schools.
Since 1999, State Farm has been the title sponsor, according to the Classic’s website. The organization also has given college scholarships to some graduating seniors who participated in the classic.
