You are reading

Manhattan Man Busted for Allegedly Stealing Funds From Flushing-Based Bowling League

Photo: Unsplash

Oct. 26, 2022 By Christian Murray

A Manhattan man who was treasurer of a Queens bowling league has been charged with grand larceny and other crimes for allegedly stealing dues and prize money from members.

Robert Vickers, 59, who was part of the Ted Guy Memorial League that played at JIB Lanes in Flushing, was in charge of collecting weekly dues from the 120-member league in the 2019-2020 season to cover bowling expenses and prize money.

As treasurer, he was supposed to deposit the funds into a bank account in the league’s name and to disperse prize money to members based on league standings.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the season to prematurely end on March 11, 2020, team captains voted to pay out prize monies based on the team and individual standings for the first half of the season, and to return dues that had been paid in advance of the unplayed games.

Since that vote, team captains reported that Vickers had failed to pay out their team members, and Vickers claimed his account was frozen.

Records, however, indicated that Vickers used league funds to make expensive purchases and gamble funds at casinos in New York and Atlantic City, authorities said.

“As alleged, the defendant took advantage of not only his position in the league, but of a global pandemic to line his pockets with funds reserved for official league activities,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “The defendant has been apprehended and faces serious charges.”

Vickers, who faces up to 4 years in prison, was arrested at his West 52nd Street home Tuesday. He has been ordered to return to court on Dec. 13.

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

CM Moya announces support for massive Metropolitan Park proposal near Citi Field

Council Member Francisco Moya announced his support for Metropolitan Park, a proposal put forward by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International that calls for the construction of a casino and entertainment complex on the parking lot just west of Citi Field.

In a lengthy statement released on Thursday afternoon, Moya said that when he was first approached about the project, his main consideration was ensuring that it would meet the needs of his constituents and provide a major boost to the local economy.