Baseball club ex-treasurer charged with embezzlement in Washington

Prosecutors said a Sammamish man in charge of the finances of a local baseball club bilked tens of thousands of dollars from the organization for pornography, rental cars and a consultation with a psychic.Charles Leinas, 45, faces a first-degree theft charge in King County Superior Court, after prosecutors said he stole more than $21,000 from the Spartan Baseball Club, a select baseball club for teenagers.Leinas could not be reached for comment. He is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 7. Leinas had been arrested Feb. 2 and charged Sept. 23.In January, Leinas served as the club’s treasurer and club President Robert Rosemont became concerned because the club’s bank account was overdrawn, charging documents state.Rosemont asked Leinas — who had control over a debit card and checkbook for the account — about the shortfall, but Leinas said the club had a deposit coming through soon to cover the expenses.Rosemont looked at the club’s bank statements and was surprised to find several questionable withdrawals and checks written to Leinas, court documents said.The purchases included mobile phone charges of more than $600, $17.50 to an Xbox Live account, $20 to an Internet psychic, more than $100 to a pornographic website and $71 to the Pacific Science Center.Nearly $4,000 in checks had been made out to Leinas, but he could not provide documentation indicating what the money was for, court documents state.Other club leaders confronted Leinas about the charges, and he agreed to resign. He later told investigators that he and Rosemount had made a verbal agreement that he would be paid for services to the club “outside the scope of his duties as treasurer,” the documents. Rosemount said no such agreement had been made.After resigning, Leinas offered to pay the club back, but later sent them a letter saying he only owed them a little more than $1,000 after his hours of work for the club were taken into account.