Former Columbia Bank Manager Indicted for Stealing from Soccer League, Team

JEFFERSON CITY, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Columbia, Mo., bank branch manager was indicted by a federal grand jury today for embezzling $30,000 from the accounts of a local soccer league and a soccer team that he coached.

Michael Robert Rettke, 41, of Columbia, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo.

According to the indictment, Rettke was a branch manager at Boone County National Bank in Columbia, where the Central Missouri Soccer League and a local soccer team, the Bears, maintained their accounts. Rettke was the treasurer of the soccer league and the coach of the Bears.

Today’s indictment alleges that, from as early as 2008 to January 2010, Rettke used his position at the bank to embezzle at least $30,000 from the bank accounts of the soccer league and the team. Rettke allegedly used his knowledge and position at the bank to illegally transfer money from those accounts into his own bank account. Rettke also allegedly deposited money into his personal account that should have gone into the league and team accounts, and used money from the league and the team accounts to pay his mortgage and other personal matters.

Phillips cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and IRS-Criminal Investigation.