PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SPOKANE POLICE DEPT: The Spokane Police Department Fraud Unit sent a charging request to the prosecutor's office this week charging 43-year-old Shawn Meese with 1 count of 1st degree Theft and 14 Counts of Money Laundering stemming from an investigation that involved Meese embezzling nearly $140,000 from the Inland Empire Youth Soccer Association over a year and a half, which nearly bankrupted the organization.
The Spokane Police thoroughly investigated the reports received in this case and the Spokane County will file the charges on Friday (6/28/13).
After noticing discrepancies in financial statements, starting around June 2011, employees from the Youth Soccer Association started investigating their accounts and found that funds had been siphoned from two different Soccer Association bank accounts, without permission, into personal bank accounts belonging to Shawn Meese.
They also found that direct transfers from one of the Youth Soccer Association accounts were made into Shawn Meese's personal bank accounts. Shawn Meese allegedly also wrote checks to himself and may have paid off personal credit card debt with the Associations moneys, according investigation records. The Soccer Association made a report to Spokane Police Department and Detectives from the Fraud Unit started their investigation.
During the investigation, detectives executed two series of search warrants. The first series, which included 7 search warrants, seized funds from Meese's personal financial institutions and obtained account statements and other account information.
The second series of warrants were executed to search Meese's residence, vehicles and other property that detectives found in which he had allegedly utilized stolen or tainted money to pay for. Detectives seized two vehicles, a GMC Yukon and a Chevrolet Equinox. They found receipts for firearms and jewelry which were paid for through his tainted bank account.
The detectives seized the property, which had been paid for through the stolen money, to help pay back some of the money stolen from the Association. Detectives recommended charges 1st Theft (1 count) and Money Laundering (14 counts) to the prosecutor's office. The Spokane County Prosecutor's Office will file the charges on Friday (6/28/13).
STATEMENT FROM THE INLAND EMPIRE YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION:
The IEYSA Board of Directors would like to express our appreciation on the professionalism and hard work shown by the Spokane Police Department in helping bring this case closer to resolution and we will continue to fully cooperate with our local authorities as necessary.
We would also like to thank our sponsors, our parent organization Washington Youth Soccer, and most importantly our members for the outpouring of support shown to us during this time.
Despite recent events, IEYSA remains fiscally strong in its ability to provide quality, fun, soccer programs for its kids without interruption and will continue working with the soccer community and our partners to improve our organization and grow towards being the best soccer choice for kids in the Spokane area.
Sincerely,
IEYSA Board of Directors
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