Police investigating missing funds from Temecula soccer league

TEMECULA - Police are investigating the disappearance of tens of thousands of dollars from a nonprofit youth soccer organization based in Temecula.

Temecula police Sgt. Bill DeLuna said at least $50,000 is missing from the bank account of the Temecula Valley Soccer Association, but the investigation is just beginning.

Whether the discrepancy is the result of theft or shoddy bookkeeping remains to be seen, DeLuna said. If investigators do find criminal activity, it likely will be months before any arrests are made, he said.

The case was referred to Temecula police by the California attorney general's office last month after state investigators concluded that a crime may have occurred. An association board member had filed a complaint with the state last year, DeLuna said.

According to an affidavit in support of a search warrant, the association president, Doug Haserot, has told investigators that, based on available bank records, the amount of deposits to the association bank account for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 were far less than previous years.

The suspected thefts occurred sometime between late 1999 and 2006, the affidavit says. During that period, the former treasurer and chief financial officer, Dan Scott, and the former association president, Peter Schilperoort, had "exclusive control" of the accounts, the affidavit says.

Haserot has told investigators that Scott admitted taking funds from the association account and identified twelve checks from the account, totaling over $60,000, that he took for his personal use, the affidavit says. Scott has said he will pay back the association, the affidavit said.

Scott has not responded to several requests for comment.

Haserot has told investigators that hundreds of checks are unaccounted for and deposit records are incomplete. The full extent of the suspected theft is unknown but could exceed $150,000, the affidavit says.

The March 19 search warrant was for records from the association's California Bank & Trust account.

The youth soccer league has about 2,400 players between the ages of 4 and 17 on more than 200 teams. It reported more than $230,000 in revenue in 2005, according to forms filed with the IRS last year.

Haserot declined to comment Thursday because of the police investigation. He referred all questions to the association's lawyer, who did not return calls.

Outside his Temecula home Wednesday, Schilperoort said no one has come right out and accused him of being involved in the thefts, but that he hasn't spoken to the association leaders for over a year. He also said he was unaware that the police had opened an investigation.

"I've been left in the dark about it all," he said. "It's just been killing me, basically, not knowing."

Schilperoort said he found out about the possible theft more than a year ago and confronted Scott about the missing funds in the presence of two board members. Scott admitted that he took the money, he said. The board suspended Schilperoort the next day even though Scott said that Schilperoort was not involved in any misappropriation of funds, he said.

Schilperoort said the amount missing is at most $70,000. Anything more than that would not have gone undetected for so long, he added.

Asked how he could have failed to realize so much money was missing, Schilperoort pointed out that the league is an all-volunteer organization.

"You rely on people," he said. Schilperoort said he had trusted Scott to handle the association's finances.

Schilperoort said he was upset that he was shut out after 10 years working with the association. He has spent countless hours working for the group and helped to raise a large amount of money, he added.

"It's affected my health majorly," he said.

"It's kind of a slam in the face, to be honest with you."