Charleston Battery Bookkeeper Accused Of Embezzlement
By Sean Maslin
Even the lower divisions of soccer seem to be prone to malfeasance. In a report released by the Charleston City Paper it has been revealed that a former bookkeeper for the Charleston Battery has been accused of embezzling $100,000 from the team.
According to a report filed with the Charleston Police Department, it was revealed that an unnamed bookkeeper for the club had been secretly embezzling funds from the team into a private bank account. The report indicates that the bookkeeper allegedly did it in small increments from 2011 to June 2015. No arrests have been made in relation to the charges.
The team has also not released a statement although it is reported that the team has since fired the employee. Multiple reports also indicate that the complainant that originally filed the report noted that the team had noticed irregularities in June but opted to do an internal review first.
The Charleston Battery are currently in third place in the United Soccer League Eastern Conference standings (9-4-9, 36 points). The team is in their 22nd year of existence and is considered to be one of the top lower division sides in all of North American soccer. The team is also known for their very popular Charleston Cup preseason tournament which normally features the best of USL and Major League Soccer.
If this is true it is obviously a very disappointing situation. Teams like the Battery are often operating on very tight budgets and success is not always a given. $100,000 dollars might not sound like much when one looks at teams like New York City F.C. or the Los Angeles Galaxy but for a lower division side a 100 grand is a lot of money and is money out of the pockets of those who work diligently to make the Battery a great soccer team.