Judge Reverses Verdict; Realtor is Not Guilty of Stealing Charity's Money

A former Strongsville realtor who was convicted in October for stealing money his employees donated to charity has now been found innocent.

William Snyder, 49, went before Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Ronald Suster Wednesday to be sentenced for the fourth-degree theft charge.

But instead, Suster reversed his original guilty verdict and found Snyder not guilty, according to Maria Russo, spokewsoman for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason's office.

Snyder, of Parma, and his business partner, Kevin Beaver, 43, of Lakewood, were charged with failing to turn owner money agents in the Strongsville RE/MAX office donated to the Children's Miracle Network to the charity.

 launched the investigation in December 2009 after some real estate agents from the Strongsville office came forward with allegations.

Beaver was sentenced last year to five years probation.

Russo said the company owned by Snyder and Beaver made several donations to the charity in 2005, but stopped in 2006. Between 2007 and 2009, the contributions were still deducted from the agents' commissions, but no donations were made to the charity, Russo said.

When that came to light, the company made a $44,000 payment and an $8,000 payment to Children's Miracle Network to cover the funds deducted from realtors' commissions checks for several years. 

Snyder and Beaver formed RE/MAX classic in 2005, operating out of three locations, including Strongsville.