MRA President caught in fraud case

[Jeff]

Or so it seems...

http://venus.13x.com/roadracingworld/scripts/NewsInsert.asp?insert=7826

11/6/2003
MRA: President Resigned Over Unauthorized Expenditures

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MRA officials say that MRA President Andrew Drattlo has resigned over charges that he wrote MRA checks and used an MRA debit card to pay non-MRA bills, including a $2100 motorcycle shop (TK Motorsports) rent payment and a $4000 downpayment on a personal truck, with several other charges--including automatic debit charges for a life insurance policy--remaining unexplained.

The amount of unauthorized personal expenditures may exceed $10,000 although Drattlo's partner in TK Motorsports has since repaid the $2100.

Colorado-based MRA also missed scheduled payments on a $54,000 AMB transponder scoring system, including a $37,000 payment due September 1.

During an MRA Board of Directors meeting November 5, the organization revealed that it is trying to determine the exact amount of unauthorized charges and unpaid bills, has sent a $10,000 good faith payment to AMB and will pay the $27,000 balance due AMB as soon as possible, and is considering filing criminal and/or civil charges against Drattlo.

In the future, the MRA will require two signatures on organization checks, and copies of all checks and bank statements will be reviewed by the entire Board.

Roadracingworld.com reached new MRA Treasurer Brian Desterec, (who, with Drattlo, is co-owner of TK Motorsports), by phone Thursday afternoon, and asked him several questions.

Roadracingworld.com: Is it true Andrew Drattlo is no longer MRA President?

Desterec: He was asked to resign, which he did on the 3rd.

RW: Did he use MRA funds for his own personal use?

Desterec: Yes, we do have documentation of that.

RW: Is any action being taken?

Desterec: The whole situation is still under investigation and we have some issues which we are trying to resolve before we determinate if we are going to take further action.

RW: Is he still part of TK Motorsports?

Desterec: He hasn't been in for a few weeks. We are currently trying to buy him out of the business. Actually his wife is the co-owner, he just acts as the managing partner for the two.


At post time, Drattlo had not returned a phone call from Roadracingworld.com seeking comment.


More information is posted on the MRA BBS, at

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/MRA-Racing/message/6065

[Bernie]

Get a rope... >:(

[Jeff]

People get caught up in stupid things all the time.  This is just saddening because this was HIS club, these were HIS members that he ripped off.

How do you do this and NOT think you're going to get caught?  My understanding is that there was really no attempt to cover thus up other than a few missing bank statements.  Yeah, like the treasurer and accountant(s) are just gonna leave it at that...

Goes to show that things could always be worse in our club eh?

[duc995@aol.com]

True...but they could be better too! ;)