During the trial, Welch, who defended himself,
said the collapsing economy left him unable to make lease payments. And
as an example of his current financial condition, he noted how he no
longer has a vehicle in his own name.Paeltz said he’ll start making
plans for the $1.2 million once the school sees some of it.”I think it’s
very unlikely that we’re going to get that money,” he said. “But we’re
gonna try.”Governor French sought $50,000 in damages and fees from Welch
regarding a dispute involving leases for copy machines that it returned
to Welch in exchange for newer copiers under their two-machine lease,
according to the complaint. The complaint accused Welch of pocketing
money from the leases rather than paying suppliers. It alleged Welch
took the money from leases the school administration thought were
terminated, money that he told school officials would go toward their
new lease payments.

Paeltz has said the value of the leases and
the machines totaled an estimated $500,000.
Welch said he had no
intent of causing any damage to Governor French or any of the other
organizations mentioned in the trial of having similar complaints of
fraud against him.”There was no intent there,” he said. “And I never
once stated I didn’t want to pay this back.”But Governor French’s
attorney, Kevin Stine, said in his closing argument that Welch did
intend to commit fraud by confusing his clients with false information
“so he could feed his bank accounts.””There’s only one way he knew how
to make money, and that was to defraud customers,” Stine said.

Stine
mentioned at least six prior complaints of fraud made against Welch by
school districts and youth and senior centers that leased copiers in
Sparta, Okawville and East St. Louis.”Mr. Welch has had many
opportunities to clean up his act, and he’s decided not to do so,” Stine
argued.Gleeson told Welch the evidence against him showed “pattern
after pattern of the same behavior,” making it clear that he intended to
defraud multiple clients.”You left a whole lot of people trying to
clean up the problems that you created for them — significant
problems,” Gleeson said.

About 25 parents, students and staff
members from the school attended the trial, a gesture of support Paeltz
described as “terrific.”Deile Smith, whose 9-year-old son attends
Governor French, said she attended the trial to help show Welch the
effects of his actions. She said many parents panicked at the thought of
the school closing when Paeltz announced last semester the possibility
of filing for bankruptcy for financial protection from the seven leasing
companies that had filed suits against the school for payments
owed.”That affects my child and my child’s future,” she said. “I think
Mr. Welch needs to understand how far-reaching this is. It wasn’t just
business. You’re putting their education at risk with your questionable
business ethics.”

Kayla Mullenix, a Governor French junior, said
the possibility of shutting the school down would have been
disappointing for her because she had spent years transferring from
school to school, trying to find the right one for her. She said she and
her friends attended the trial “because we’re trying to support the
school and to get a better view about how court cases go.”