Missing $42K (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/780238E66B9728618625713C001BFF64?OpenDocument)
Quote
Rams Super Bowl hero may face fraud charges
By Michael Shaw
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/24/2006
A federal prosecutor said fraud charges may be considered against former St. Louis Rams football player Mike Jones, after neither Jones nor his lawyer kept a date Friday to tell a judge what Jones' foundation did with $42,000 in charitable funds.
"I think we do need to look into the matter for potential charges here, given the fact that there may be some fraud involved," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Clark.
Michael Katz, a lawyer for the foundation, arrived later at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis and spoke with a judge. He told a reporter the funds were used legitimately and that there is no crime - only lapsed record-keeping by Jones.
"His heart is there, but his head was not as quick as his heart," said Katz, who also represents the St. Louis Rams on some matters. "My admonition to him is that you can't be a one-man show."
The Michael Jones Foundation was one of 15 charities to get a share of a $1 million federal fine from a property owner who had allowed prostitution to take place in two nightclubs in Brooklyn. Jones' plan was to build a grocery store and commercial center in the impoverished town.
Katz said Brooklyn's village leaders blocked the idea, fearing it would be a target for crime. Instead, the money was used to build a home, and Jones added some of his own funds to complete it, the lawyer said. The former Rams player didn't realize he should have informed U.S. District Judge Michael J. Reagan about changing his plan, Katz said.
The foundation was in line to receive $32,000 more from the fund, but the judge froze that.
Katz said he will prepare a thorough report on how the funds were distributed.
Jones' foundation was the only charity given the parcels of land where the nightclubs were located. But Judge Reagan said Jones never took possession of the property from U.S. marshals, and the buildings have since been gutted or burned and are unusable. The $32,000 may be used to raze them.
Jones played linebacker for the St. Louis Rams from 1997 through 2000, making a game-saving tackle for the Rams at the end of the Super Bowl in January 2000.
His foundation was administratively dissolved by the Missouri secretary of state in January. Since then, paperwork has been filed in an attempt to revive it.
This guy does a lot of good in St. Louis. Hope he is just dumb and not a criminal.
He played in the NFL. Chances are he's not only dumb, but a criminal as well.