Minnesota Youth Sports Sees Pattern of Charity Bingo Frauds

Realization dawns that for small charities embezzlement is an ever present risk, not just an isolated incident. 

The St. Paul Pioneer Press is genuinely pioneering with its report on several incidents of fraud in youth sports operations ("Stung by Swindles" Dave Orrick). 

• Pete Rolstad took $77,000 while he was president of the Spring Lake Park District 16 Youth Hockey Association (EIN 41-1427092 Form 990).
• Laurie Jones, assistant gambling manager for Brooklyn Park Youth Hockey (EIN 23-7428330 Form 990), is suspected of altering receipts for proceeds of pull-tab bingo (like turning a receipt for $1,529 into one for $529 by turning the 1 into a dollar sign).  The skimming might have exceeded $100,000. 
• Ronald Worden, past president of the Columbia Heights Basketball Association (EIN 41-1558212 Form 990) is accused of allowing relatives to make withdrawals from association accounts.  The group's former treasurer Susan Genosky of complicity in trying to cover up the transactions.   The newspaper uncovered evidence that Mr. Worden had sought bankruptcy protection in the period around his presidency. 

Directly or indirectly the incidents are related to bingo operations.  In each of these cases, the bingo operation dwarfs the sports program.  Spring Lake reports pull tab sales of $3.5 million, yielding $745,345 for the team.  Brooklyn Park sales were $7.6 million, but only $47,231 went for sports operations.  Columbia Heights boosters sold $2.1 million but the team gained $7,740. 

Internal controls are obviously going to be problematic when a small, volunteer based charity supports a large gambling operation.  It's easy to blame the individual charities and their boards, but the pattern shows that this is something that could happen to any of these youth sports organizations "but for the grace of God."  People aren't in the habit of doing credit checks on their fellow parents.  Really to blame are the legislatures that facilitate outscale gambling operations that use charity as a pretext. 

Comments

[Air Jordans]

Compete, only for good, only against time.

[ClubPenguin]

In each of these cases, the bingo operation dwarfs the sports program.

[Dallas Home Security]

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[バーバリーマフラー]

東京電力福島第一原発事故で東電に巨額の損失が生じたのは、経営陣が地震や津波の安全対策を怠ってきたためだとして、株主らが東電に対し、歴代の経営陣に損害賠償請求訴訟を起こすよう求める書面を提出する方針を固めたことが分かった
請求額や対象者を検討した上で、今月中にも提出したいとしている。提出後、６０日以内に東電が提訴しない場合、株主代表訴訟を東京地裁に起こすという。
株主の一人は「このままでは、過去の経営陣の責任追及があいまいになってしまう。裁判で責任の所在をはっきりさせるべきだ」と話した。一方、東電は「内容を把握していないので、コメントは差し控える」としている。

[ティンバーランド]

ティンバーランド堺市北区の象印マホービン元副社長、尾崎宗秀さん（８４）が自宅で襲われ殺害された事件で、尾崎さんが発見される約２時間前、自宅周辺を黒の原付きバイクで往復する不審な男が目撃されていたことが、捜査関係者への取材で分かった。数日前から近所の複数の住民らも目撃しており、大阪府警はこの男が尾崎さん殺害に関与したとみている。

　ティンバーランド捜査関係者によると、尾崎さんは１日午前１０時２０分ごろ、自宅２階の納戸で顔を粘着テープなどで巻かれ、両手足を結束バンドで縛られた状態で発見された。目撃情報は午前８時前後で、通行人が尾崎さん方の周りを走る不審なバイクの男を見ていた。男は黒っぽい服装で、ヘルメットをかぶっていたという。