Mansfield man faces trial for stealing $211,157 from Richland County Fish and Game Club at 1360 Poth Road.
Paul Castelvetere, 61, was indicted in June by the Richland County grand jury for aggravated robbery, a third-degree felony. A jury trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. on September 6 at Richland County Court of Common Pleas before Judge Philippe Naumoffaccording to court records.
Castelvetere reportedly told Richland County sheriff’s deputies in April that he “felt rotten” about the whole situation. and that he was going to refund the money.
According to reports from the sheriff’s office filed in March, board members told deputies that Castelvetere was the club’s treasurer, an unpaid position and the only one with access to finances.
According to reports from the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, filed in March, board members told the sheriff’s office that Castelvetere was the club’s treasurer and the only one with access to finances.
When were discrepancies seen at the Richland County Fish and Game Club?
Discrepancies were found in the club’s finances after Castelvetere ‘explained they owed an invoice of over $14,000 after reporting everything had been paid and up to date before that’, board members said. administration to deputies in a report.
Discrepancies were found in the club’s finances after Castelvetere ‘explained they owed an invoice of over $14,000 after reporting everything had been paid and up to date before that’, board members said. administration to deputies in a report.
Upon further inspection of checks written and deposited, many checks were written for large sums of money to be paid to the club’s credit card, but were in fact directed to another credit card number which did not was not affiliated with the fish and game club, according to the sheriff’s report.
Initially, Castelvetere denied taking any money, saying the club’s funds had been mismanaged for years. He said that due to the extent of the mismanagement, he believed officials were going to blame him, according to the sheriff’s report.
Deputies told Castelvetere they had two years of documentation where they could show specific instances in which he had deposited money into his personal credit card account. Deputies said the transactions were tracked by a bank and printed on the back of its cheques.
What did Paul Castelvetere say in a voluntary statement?
Castelvetere said in a self-declaration to the sheriff’s office on April 5 that he was most concerned that his wife would divorce and go to jail at age 61. He could not provide an explanation of where the money was going. He told the deputy that he and his wife made a lot of money, that he did not gamble and that he did not use drugs, according to the report.
On April 18, deputies spoke with a man who told them Castelvetere told him he had taken the money.
Castelvetere told the man, Jeff Weithman, “it was so easy and he couldn’t stop,” according to Weithman’s statement provided to deputies.
Castelvetere is represented by Mansfield attorney Robert Whitney. Castelvetere remains out of jail on $200,000 personal bond.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @LWhitmir
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Treasurer of the Richland County Fish & Game Club, accused of theft
