The trail of some $40,000 siphoned from the Howell Girls Softball League leads investigators to the man who has managed its finances since 2012.

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Thomas Vilanova, 45, turned himself in Tuesday, ending an investigation that had been ongoing for just about a half-year, according to township police.

Vilanova is accused of using a league debit card and checks to pay for landscaping at his home and household utilities, to pay for his own bail in an unrelated arrest, and for meals, transportation and incidential expenses through several states.

The probe began in December 2015, when league officials brought suspicions of theft or fraud to township detectives, based on several thousand dollars' worth of unauthorized transactions traced to Villanova.

Vilanova is charged with a third-degree theft count. He was given a summons for a future court appearance.

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