NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A Newport News man is accused of stealing money from the Denbigh Youth Baseball League over several months earlier this year.
Court documents show that Jarrod Vass is accused of embezzling money between January and July 2024.
A criminal complaint indicates he made several unauthorized credit card transactions to pay Dominion Energy, Food Lion, The Moose Lounge and the American Legion. He also wrote, signed, and cashed checks for $400 and $2,000 on two separate occasions.
According to Brandon Fournier, the current league president, Vass had worked for the league as treasurer for three years.
"This is someone that I trusted wholeheartedly. He was out here helping me daily, and ultimately, I was best friends with him for years," he said.
Fournier said he began questioning the team's funds back in July.
"I had to pull up our documents to figure out what fall ball or spring ball cost us. What will it look like for fall ball? I contacted the bank [and] got them to send over the bank statements; that's when I started seeing what we've been going over in previous meetings, and what was documented was not the same. We started finding all the little things here and there," Fournier said.
The team generates all of its revenue through concessions. According to court documents, during the league's 2023 baseball season, about $13,600 in cash never made it to the bank. Then the league lost about $12,600 in the first half of this year.
Fournier believes it's the kids who must pay the ultimate price.
"That's money that's taken away from our field equipment, baseballs, catching equipment, and even kids that we sponsor right here on the field that maybe couldn't afford it another way," he said.
Court documents state the league released Vass from his position in July 2024. 13News Now attempted to contact Vass, but he gave no comment and referred us to his lawyer.
Vass will appear in court on October 7.