Former Teacher at Helix High Sentenced to 240 Days in Embezzlement Case

A former personal finance teacher at Helix Charter High School was sentenced Tuesday to 240 days in jail after being convicted on embezzlement charges related to his time as a baseball coach at .

Larry Rinehart, who also taught accounting at Helix until earlier this year, was in early August of two felony counts of stealing $16,000 in team monies and using it to gamble at local casinos.

An El Cajon resident, Rinehart coached the Monarchs in Spring Valley from 2003 to 2007.

Besides the eight-month term, Judge Lantz Lewis in El Cajon Superior Court also sentenced Rinehart to five years’ probation and ordered him to take anti-theft classes and stay out of casinos.

Lewis told Rinehart he “abused his position of trust” with “repeated acts of deceit.”

Though Rinehart did not speak during the sentencing, his attorney read aloud a statement: “To the community, students, administration and staff of Monte Vista High School, I apologize to all of you for betraying your trust.”

He was ordered to pay back the stolen money in increments of at least $100 a month. At that rate it will take 41 years for Monte Vista to get repaid in full.

Rinehart had face a maximum of three years in state prison. He resigned as Monte Vista’s coach in June 2007 and became an umpire, according to published reports.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Rinehart and his wife, Margaret, also originally charged, filed for bankruptcy in 1995 and 2008.

In December 2003, at least four students posted reviews of Rinehart’s Helix classes on ratemyteachers.com.

“He’s kind of weird but harmless,” wrote one. “Don’t get on his bad side. Can be a little strict but only if you annoy him (by goofing off, etc). Pretty cool otherwise.”

City News Service contributed to this report.