Man Booked After Fight at Youth Game
September 28, 2004 From a Times Staff Writer
A man allegedly caught on video punching another man while at a Pop Warner football game in Santa Ana has surrendered to authorities, police said Monday.
Fernando Silbas Hernandez, 27, turned himself in Friday after an arrest warrant was issued, said Police Sgt. Carlos Rojas.
Hernandez, of Santa Ana, allegedly punched a man on the back of the head during a game Sept. 12 that included a fight between adults, Rojas said.
Tempers had flared when an outspoken parent was told to shut up, police said. A shoving match turned into a fight involving several people.
Rojas said an investigation led to Hernandez as suspect. He was booked on suspicion of assault and battery and released after he posted $1,000 bail.
-----------------------
OEC Pop Warner adults ruining it for the kids again.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Drunk Coach Arrested After SUV Crash
Coach Arrested After SUV Crash
ORANGE COUNTY/ AROUND THE COUNTY HUNTINGTON BEACH
December 07, 2000 Tariq Malik, (714) 965-7172, Ext. 13
A youth football coach has been dismissed from the Pop Warner organization after being arrested on charges of drunk driving and willful child endangerment in connection with an accident he and three team members were in last week while driving to Laughlin, Nev.
Barrett Brown, 35, a Pee Wee coach for the city's Pop Warner football league, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol after his 1995 Isuzu Rodeo overturned on a rural highway at 6:15 p.m. Friday, five miles outside Needles, authorities said.
All of the persons in the vehicle were treated for minor injuries and released, authorities said.
Brown's attorney would not comment on the case Wednesday.
Brown, who lives in Cypress, was taking three boys, all 11 or 12 years old, to a postseason consolation game. Officials with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said Brown was jailed over the weekend in lieu of $101,053 bail.
At an arraignment Tuesday, San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Joseph R. Brisco dropped Brown's bail to $16,053. Brown pleaded innocent to all charges, court officials said.
Brown posted bail Wednesday morning and is due back in Needles for a pretrial hearing Dec. 19. He faces a maximum of seven years in prison if convicted.
Brown has coached football for boys 12 years and younger in the Pop Warner organization for the last two years and represented the city's six team leaders on the agency's board of directors until the accident.
"Obviously, he has been removed both as coach and as a representative," said Steve Sherman, president of the Huntington Beach Pop Warner chapter, adding that all coaching positions in Pop Warner are voluntary.
---------------------
Orange Empire Conference Pop Warner: say it ain't so.
ORANGE COUNTY/ AROUND THE COUNTY HUNTINGTON BEACH
December 07, 2000 Tariq Malik, (714) 965-7172, Ext. 13
A youth football coach has been dismissed from the Pop Warner organization after being arrested on charges of drunk driving and willful child endangerment in connection with an accident he and three team members were in last week while driving to Laughlin, Nev.
Barrett Brown, 35, a Pee Wee coach for the city's Pop Warner football league, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol after his 1995 Isuzu Rodeo overturned on a rural highway at 6:15 p.m. Friday, five miles outside Needles, authorities said.
All of the persons in the vehicle were treated for minor injuries and released, authorities said.
Brown's attorney would not comment on the case Wednesday.
Brown, who lives in Cypress, was taking three boys, all 11 or 12 years old, to a postseason consolation game. Officials with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said Brown was jailed over the weekend in lieu of $101,053 bail.
At an arraignment Tuesday, San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Joseph R. Brisco dropped Brown's bail to $16,053. Brown pleaded innocent to all charges, court officials said.
Brown posted bail Wednesday morning and is due back in Needles for a pretrial hearing Dec. 19. He faces a maximum of seven years in prison if convicted.
Brown has coached football for boys 12 years and younger in the Pop Warner organization for the last two years and represented the city's six team leaders on the agency's board of directors until the accident.
"Obviously, he has been removed both as coach and as a representative," said Steve Sherman, president of the Huntington Beach Pop Warner chapter, adding that all coaching positions in Pop Warner are voluntary.
---------------------
Orange Empire Conference Pop Warner: say it ain't so.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
More Bad Pop Warner News
Rancho Santa Margarita
Our Times: Orange County Community News July 13, 2000 Sean Kirwan, (949) 574-4202
The Santa Margarita/Trabuco Hills Pop Warner football league received a big financial boost from Bank of America on Wednesday, just one day after the former president and founder of the league was sentenced to serve seven months in jail and repay $86,000 he embezzled from league coffers.
The bank announced that it would donate $40,000 to the league, after weeks of discussion with league officials.
George Gutierrez, 52, of Rancho Santa Margarita has pleaded guilty to writing at least 79 checks to himself and to cash from the league's account with Bank of America over the last few years.
Bank spokesman Todd Rosin said the bank hoped the donation would allow the league to continue to have a strong presence in the community.
------------------
More OEC Pop Warner breaking bad.
Our Times: Orange County Community News July 13, 2000 Sean Kirwan, (949) 574-4202
The Santa Margarita/Trabuco Hills Pop Warner football league received a big financial boost from Bank of America on Wednesday, just one day after the former president and founder of the league was sentenced to serve seven months in jail and repay $86,000 he embezzled from league coffers.
The bank announced that it would donate $40,000 to the league, after weeks of discussion with league officials.
George Gutierrez, 52, of Rancho Santa Margarita has pleaded guilty to writing at least 79 checks to himself and to cash from the league's account with Bank of America over the last few years.
Bank spokesman Todd Rosin said the bank hoped the donation would allow the league to continue to have a strong presence in the community.
------------------
More OEC Pop Warner breaking bad.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Ex-Pop Warner Chief Arrested in Funds Theft
Ex-Pop Warner Chief Arrested in Funds Theft
November 14, 1996 MARTIN MILLER TIMES STAFF WRITER
The former president of the La Habra Pop Warner football league was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of embezzling more than $40,000 in league funds, the second arrest of a league official in Orange County this month.
Following a six-month police investigation, Linda Lee Tripoli, 48, surrendered to La Habra police Wednesday morning and was booked on suspicion of grand theft, embezzlement, burglary, and forgery, according to La Habra Police Det. Ron Braasch. Tripoli was released after posting bail of $50,000, police said.
Tripoli, who has been active in the nonprofit organization for 15 years and was league president last year, allegedly wrote at least $40,000 in league checks to pay for hotel rooms and her home and to make cash payments to herself in 1995, Braasch said.
"It could easily have been much more than $40,000," said Braasch, who noted the investigation only examined Tripoli's 1995 league involvement. "A lot more."
Earlier this month, police arrested the former president of the Saddleback Valley Pop Warner football league on suspicion of pocketing $11,000 in league funds. Debbie Krueger, 46, of Mission Viejo pleaded not guilty to the charge and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing today.
Tripoli, who moved from her La Habra home to northern California about six months ago, was unavailable for comment. Her La Habra attorneys, Mike McDonald and Jeff Kent, declined to comment on the case Wednesday.
Parents and board members of the Pop Warner league called La Habra police in February when they noticed large sums of money missing from league accounts. Police began investigating Tripoli's bank records, Braasch said. Difficulty in obtaining her earlier financial records limited the probe to just 1995, he said.
Police found that Tripoli had cashed league checks and paid a 1% service fee at cash-checking outlets instead of conducting business at the league's bank, Braasch said. Tripoli forged board members' signatures to cash the checks, Braasch added.
"The league should have a lot of money," said Braasch. "Instead they have a lot of debt and could possibly go under."
Phone calls to board members of the La Habra Pop Warner football league were not returned Wednesday.
News of the lost funds, which almost forced the league to shut down, outraged the community, Braasch said.
"The kids are the ones that really take the hit. They almost didn't have a season because of this," he said. "I've got parents calling me constantly and they are very, very upset."
Also contributing to this report was Times staff writer Len Hall.
--------------------------
Orange Empire Conference Pop Warner doing very very bad things again.
November 14, 1996 MARTIN MILLER TIMES STAFF WRITER
The former president of the La Habra Pop Warner football league was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of embezzling more than $40,000 in league funds, the second arrest of a league official in Orange County this month.
Following a six-month police investigation, Linda Lee Tripoli, 48, surrendered to La Habra police Wednesday morning and was booked on suspicion of grand theft, embezzlement, burglary, and forgery, according to La Habra Police Det. Ron Braasch. Tripoli was released after posting bail of $50,000, police said.
Tripoli, who has been active in the nonprofit organization for 15 years and was league president last year, allegedly wrote at least $40,000 in league checks to pay for hotel rooms and her home and to make cash payments to herself in 1995, Braasch said.
"It could easily have been much more than $40,000," said Braasch, who noted the investigation only examined Tripoli's 1995 league involvement. "A lot more."
Earlier this month, police arrested the former president of the Saddleback Valley Pop Warner football league on suspicion of pocketing $11,000 in league funds. Debbie Krueger, 46, of Mission Viejo pleaded not guilty to the charge and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing today.
Tripoli, who moved from her La Habra home to northern California about six months ago, was unavailable for comment. Her La Habra attorneys, Mike McDonald and Jeff Kent, declined to comment on the case Wednesday.
Parents and board members of the Pop Warner league called La Habra police in February when they noticed large sums of money missing from league accounts. Police began investigating Tripoli's bank records, Braasch said. Difficulty in obtaining her earlier financial records limited the probe to just 1995, he said.
Police found that Tripoli had cashed league checks and paid a 1% service fee at cash-checking outlets instead of conducting business at the league's bank, Braasch said. Tripoli forged board members' signatures to cash the checks, Braasch added.
"The league should have a lot of money," said Braasch. "Instead they have a lot of debt and could possibly go under."
Phone calls to board members of the La Habra Pop Warner football league were not returned Wednesday.
News of the lost funds, which almost forced the league to shut down, outraged the community, Braasch said.
"The kids are the ones that really take the hit. They almost didn't have a season because of this," he said. "I've got parents calling me constantly and they are very, very upset."
Also contributing to this report was Times staff writer Len Hall.
--------------------------
Orange Empire Conference Pop Warner doing very very bad things again.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Pop Warner Football Official Denies Charge of Theft
Pop Warner Football Official Denies Charge of Theft
Courts: Investigators say former president pocketed $11,000 of league's funds. Board contacted authorities after bills went unpaid.
November 08, 1996 TINA NGUYEN TIMES STAFF WRITER
The former president of Saddleback Valley's Pop Warner football league pleaded not guilty Thursday in Municipal Court to a charge of pocketing about $11,000 in league funds.
Debbie Krueger, 46, remains in the county Central Women's Jail on a grand theft charge pending a pretrial hearing next Thursday.
"Apparently she had been writing herself checks to the tune of over $11,000," Garner said. "We opened an investigation and determined, indeed, that that did occur."
Detectives said they called Krueger at her home Tuesday and asked her to come to the sheriff's station, where she was booked.
Krueger, whose son played for one of the league's 10 football teams, had served as league treasurer in 1995 and was this year's president until the arrest.
Sharon Wargo, a former league board member, said Thursday that parents became suspicious when there was no money to pay for trophies, yearbooks and other expenses for the teams. She said the financial files and records on the league's computer had been erased.
"Bills were not being paid and people were coming after us,' said Wargo, of Lake Forest. "That's when it all started coming down."
Wargo said she headed a league investigation committee and discovered that the league's checks were going into Krueger's personal checking account. Although investigators said about $11,000 in checks were deposited in Krueger's account, Pop Warner members said as much as $18,000 is missing.
"There was cash in the snack bar," Wargo said. "Who knows where it went, but that money's gone."
To help cover the losses, parents raised money through a silent auction and paid an extra $25 in registration fees per child. Wargo added that the league is now financially stable, but other losses can't be recouped.
"We lost families because of this situation," she said. "It just shows crime doesn't pay."
------------------------------
Pop Warner OEC criminals ruining it for the kids again.
Courts: Investigators say former president pocketed $11,000 of league's funds. Board contacted authorities after bills went unpaid.
November 08, 1996 TINA NGUYEN TIMES STAFF WRITER
The former president of Saddleback Valley's Pop Warner football league pleaded not guilty Thursday in Municipal Court to a charge of pocketing about $11,000 in league funds.
Debbie Krueger, 46, remains in the county Central Women's Jail on a grand theft charge pending a pretrial hearing next Thursday.
"Apparently she had been writing herself checks to the tune of over $11,000," Garner said. "We opened an investigation and determined, indeed, that that did occur."
Detectives said they called Krueger at her home Tuesday and asked her to come to the sheriff's station, where she was booked.
Krueger, whose son played for one of the league's 10 football teams, had served as league treasurer in 1995 and was this year's president until the arrest.
Sharon Wargo, a former league board member, said Thursday that parents became suspicious when there was no money to pay for trophies, yearbooks and other expenses for the teams. She said the financial files and records on the league's computer had been erased.
"Bills were not being paid and people were coming after us,' said Wargo, of Lake Forest. "That's when it all started coming down."
Wargo said she headed a league investigation committee and discovered that the league's checks were going into Krueger's personal checking account. Although investigators said about $11,000 in checks were deposited in Krueger's account, Pop Warner members said as much as $18,000 is missing.
"There was cash in the snack bar," Wargo said. "Who knows where it went, but that money's gone."
To help cover the losses, parents raised money through a silent auction and paid an extra $25 in registration fees per child. Wargo added that the league is now financially stable, but other losses can't be recouped.
"We lost families because of this situation," she said. "It just shows crime doesn't pay."
------------------------------
Pop Warner OEC criminals ruining it for the kids again.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
New Segment: How Does This Happen? Wait...It's Pop Warner
Youth football embezzler still around
May 08, 2008
By FRANK MICKADEIT
This might be the record for spinning back through the Time Tunnel for a follow-up.
Remember the Great Santa Ana Pop Warner Brawl of 2004? That spawned a spate of Pop Warner complainants forwarding me their grievances - everything from team moms who ripped off the snack bar money to the internal politics of the oligarchies that control certain leagues.
Before I put a moratorium on reporting Pop Warner-related mayhem, I wrote about the ironic case of one Robert T. "Bobby" Espinosa, an Orange Empire Conference official who had been one of my sources on the Santa Ana case. Espinoza, as I reported, ended up being charged with embezzling more than $50,000 from the Fullerton Pop Warner league.
The case dragged on for years. He finally pleaded no contest last year, and then in a lengthy restitution hearing last month, he was ordered to pay back the Fullerton league $16,875 - the maximum amount the D.A. was able to prove he stole.
If he pays it back in a year, the felony charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor, according to Deputy D.A. Steve Shriver.
While the Fullerton league booted him from its ranks, what is really strange about this is that the overarching Orange Empire Conference not only keeps him around, but it apparently loves him! "Congratulations to our new regional commissioners" the conference Web site (www.popwarneroec.com) crows over photos of Espinosa and another man (the latter presumably a non-felon).
I have put in three calls to the OEC commissioner, Steve Sherman, and have gotten no response. I also repeatedly called the last number I had for Espinosa and got no response. He's told me in the past that the missing money was simply a misunderstanding that would be straightened out.
The OEC's position baffles a former Fullerton Pop Warner official. "He did do a lot of good for kids, but he stole money, too," says Bob Renfro, who served on the board with Espinosa. "Now that the verdict has come down, they should get rid of him."
This warm and fuzzy story is courtesy of the good folks at the OC Register.
An interesting follow up to this follow up: While this reporter for the OC Register reports Fullerton Pop Warner has "booted" Bobby Espinosa from their ranks, it is obvious the reporter was mistaken.
Fullerton Pop Warner's Facebook site (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=318557014442) lists Bobby Espinosa as an "Officer." Pretty high praise for a convicted thief. Fair warning to those who are listed as "Officers" on the Fullerton Pop Warner Facebook page: do you really think it is wise to associate yourself with this thief?
In what parallel universe does a thief get such high praise and is welcome back into the organization he embezzled - a proper way to say STOLE - tens of thousands of dollars from? How do you explain this to the children who because of this thief did not have jerseys until midway through their season?
Oh, wait...it is happening in the Pop Warner universe. Fullerton Pop Warner bizarro universe to be exact. Now, it makes sense.
May 08, 2008
By FRANK MICKADEIT
This might be the record for spinning back through the Time Tunnel for a follow-up.
Remember the Great Santa Ana Pop Warner Brawl of 2004? That spawned a spate of Pop Warner complainants forwarding me their grievances - everything from team moms who ripped off the snack bar money to the internal politics of the oligarchies that control certain leagues.
Before I put a moratorium on reporting Pop Warner-related mayhem, I wrote about the ironic case of one Robert T. "Bobby" Espinosa, an Orange Empire Conference official who had been one of my sources on the Santa Ana case. Espinoza, as I reported, ended up being charged with embezzling more than $50,000 from the Fullerton Pop Warner league.
The case dragged on for years. He finally pleaded no contest last year, and then in a lengthy restitution hearing last month, he was ordered to pay back the Fullerton league $16,875 - the maximum amount the D.A. was able to prove he stole.
If he pays it back in a year, the felony charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor, according to Deputy D.A. Steve Shriver.
While the Fullerton league booted him from its ranks, what is really strange about this is that the overarching Orange Empire Conference not only keeps him around, but it apparently loves him! "Congratulations to our new regional commissioners" the conference Web site (www.popwarneroec.com) crows over photos of Espinosa and another man (the latter presumably a non-felon).
I have put in three calls to the OEC commissioner, Steve Sherman, and have gotten no response. I also repeatedly called the last number I had for Espinosa and got no response. He's told me in the past that the missing money was simply a misunderstanding that would be straightened out.
The OEC's position baffles a former Fullerton Pop Warner official. "He did do a lot of good for kids, but he stole money, too," says Bob Renfro, who served on the board with Espinosa. "Now that the verdict has come down, they should get rid of him."
This warm and fuzzy story is courtesy of the good folks at the OC Register.
An interesting follow up to this follow up: While this reporter for the OC Register reports Fullerton Pop Warner has "booted" Bobby Espinosa from their ranks, it is obvious the reporter was mistaken.
Fullerton Pop Warner's Facebook site (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=318557014442) lists Bobby Espinosa as an "Officer." Pretty high praise for a convicted thief. Fair warning to those who are listed as "Officers" on the Fullerton Pop Warner Facebook page: do you really think it is wise to associate yourself with this thief?
In what parallel universe does a thief get such high praise and is welcome back into the organization he embezzled - a proper way to say STOLE - tens of thousands of dollars from? How do you explain this to the children who because of this thief did not have jerseys until midway through their season?
Oh, wait...it is happening in the Pop Warner universe. Fullerton Pop Warner bizarro universe to be exact. Now, it makes sense.
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