Local Youth Sports League Investigating Missing Funds

    “The money was gone.”
   Umatilla Babe Ruth board volunteer Nick Guerrina on Monday was succinct in describing how the league in recent weeks has become aware of money being taken out of its bank account in what is believed to be in an inappropriate manner.
   Guerrina, who was installed as the organization’s president on Monday night as the league attempts to unwind what is believed to be a months-long pilfering of its bank account, said the organization’s board of directors only became aware of an issue when a check to a vendor bounced.
   “There should have been money there,” said Guerrina, describing a call he received from a uniform vendor the league uses, stating a check had bounced, the first alert the volunteer board had that there was a problem. Since that November phone call, the board has found that for the last 4-6 months money had been leaving the organization to the tune of around $31,000 total.
   As soon as the problem was found, the board held an emergency meeting and initiated an investigation that in recent weeks began to show the extent of the theft.
   The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has been brought in, and both Guerrina and sheriff’s office representatives have been careful not to offer too many on the record details of the active investigation.
   “It’s in the early stages,” said Fred Jones of the sheriff’s office on Monday. “We are investigating it, but these things can take some time.”
   Guerrina says the organization’s board of directors, which held its latest meeting on Sunday night, has signaled it is wanting to prosecute anyone who was involved in the theft, though at this time Jones said it is unknown if that will involve criminal or civil efforts.
   What is known, is that Umatilla Babe Ruth, which services between 200-300 youth baseball and softball players during its fall and spring seasons based out of the North Lake Regional Park, is in dire financial straits as a result of the situation.
   “I think we are at around $1,000,” Guerrina said on Monday, with the league facing a series of payments due to the Babe Ruth organization as well as Lake County shortly after the new year. And while the situation is an uncomfortable one for the league, its president wants the community that has supported the league over its many years of operation to know it has stepped up in the wake of the theft.
   “The public needs to know,” Guerrina said of the situation.
   The league has initiated greater controls on how money can be spent, with three signors on its bank account at United Southern Bank, as well as a new notifications system that ‘pings’ board members anytime a transaction is undertaken. Additionally, the board is instituting a broader auditing program that will help volunteers understand financial statements going forward.
   As a board member for around two years, Guerrina admits following the league’s finances wasn’t a top line item for him.
   “The supplies were coming in, everything seemed to be working. Everything seemed pretty in line until very recently. Checking the bank account wasn’t on my list.” Nor for most other board members, either.
   As the league pursues a legal resolution to the missing money, the parents that make up the new leadership are also focused on making sure the children participating in the league are able to continue to do so, and are gearing up for a series of fundraisers after the first of the year. But even now, anyone in the public who would like to help the league’s financial situation is able to do so my making a contribution to Umatilla Babe Ruth at any United Southern Bank branch.