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Posted by: PBC FL Cop

This guy was on almost every episode of "COPS" when they were in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, July 27, 2007

LAKE WORTH — While the town's youth baseball league struggled to buy new equipment and maintain its fields several years ago, the board president used the league's funds to pay for trips, hotel rooms, cellphones and credit card bills, and support a new business, police allege.

Former baseball coach and retired Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy Jeffrey Lower is now accused of stealing more than $42,000, according to an arrest report.

Lower surrendered at the Palm Beach County Jail on Thursday on felony charges of grand theft and scheming to defraud. He was released on $10,000 bond.
During their two-year investigation, investigators reported that Lower used money from the league to buy two Dell computers, airline tickets, hotel rooms in Colorado, and more. He also used the league's name to obtain credit cards at Home Depot and Office Depot, the report stated.
"All I can say is that I'm innocent," Lower said Thursday evening. "I didn't do anything wrong. This is just somebody that has a vindictive vengeance against me, and this will be proven in court."

Lower served as league president from 2001 to 2005 and his wife, Marie, worked as the league treasurer during that same time. Allegations first arose about the mishandling of league funds when a board member saw a credit card bill in the league's name, said Jennifer Martinez, the current league treasurer.

The Lowers resigned from their posts in 2005. Marie Lower has not been charged in connectionwith handling of the youth league's money, but in 1993, she served four months in federal prison after she pleaded guilty to embezzling $9,000 from a Palm Springs bank.

In April 2006, Jeffrey Lower retired from law enforcement after 14 years with the department. He was known for his high arrest numbers and his appearances on the television show Cops, sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller said.

A month later, Lower told investigators he mistakenly used the league's credit card for a trip to Colorado. He also said league purchases were made at Home Depot and Office Depot and that his company, MVP Baseball, had provided uniforms, batting cages, netting and fencing for the league.
One of the Home Depot purchases was for a pre-hung door with frosted glass, which is the same type of door at his house, according to the report.
Investigators determined Lower wrote checks worth $12,500 to his business during a 31/2-month span.

Lower could not account for about $16,800 that was missing from concession stand money from a 2004 tournament nor was he able to explain $7,908 in cash withdrawals from the league's account, the report stated.
Some of the remaining eight board members at the time told investigators they were unaware of the spending problems.

One said Lower promised new equipment and batting cages but never delivered. Another said she ran the league's credit report and discovered many of Lower's purchases, which he claimed already had been paid, the report stated. Another said the board never saw financial statements and Maria Lower would become upset if anyone handled the bank statements, the report stated.

When the misuse of funds allegations first arose in 2005, the controversy divided the league, Martinez said. Several board members resigned. Others took their children to play in another league.
"We still have people at league who think of us as the bad people because we pushed him out," she said. "He was a good coach and he's good with the kids."

When Martinez took over handling the league's financials, she said there were virtually no records of bank statements or receipts for the past four years. The league couldn't do an audit with an accountant, she said.
Martinez, who's also a bookkeeper, said she found a series of disturbing transactions.

"It's a very hard situation because you don't want to cause someone problems," she said. The league consulted with an attorney to see whether it could sue to get the money back, but it would have cost about $25,000, Martinez said.

So league officials went to the police, she said. The league has since gotten back on track. The board has overhauled its financing practices. A husband and wife are no longer allowed to be board members at the same time and the board gets a financial statement to review every month, Martinez said.
The league, which boasts about 220 athletes and 20 teams each season, has purchased new equipment, repaired the scoreboard and installed batting cages. The league also had two top finishes at the district tournament and a second-place finish in the state competition.

"It's not about revenge, but we want the money back," Martinez said. "No one's asking to go to jail or lose your job, just pay it back to the kids."

Name: LOWER, JEFFREY RRace: White DOB: 06/09/1969 Address:

PALM BEACH, FL 00000 Facility: SURETY BOND
Booking Number: 2007041396 OBTS Number: N/A Booking Date: 07/26/2007 Time: 10:24 Arresting Agency: 01 - PBSO Officer: BEMBRY Original Bond: $0.00Current Bond: $0.00 Release Date: 07/26/07 Time: 12:00Holds For Other Agencies:No Warrant Number: N/AJacket Number: 0357066 Charges: 812.014-2787 LARC-20K DOLS LESS THAN 100K DOLS
817.034-2846 FRAUD-SWINDLE-OBTAIN PROPERTY 20K LESS THAN 50K DOLS
* DIV U/JD NOT LISTED/ISS 7/20/07

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