Man Stole $36K From Little League to Buy Drugs: Police

The husband of the financial manager of Bethlehem’s North Central Little League was arrested Monday and charged with stealing $36,000 in cash from the organization.

Christopher E. Dollak, 32, of 932 Evans St. in South Bethlehem was motivated by a growing drug habit, city police said.

As manager of league finances, Dollak’s wife, Amy, would receive money for dues and sales, and would frequently bring the money home to deposit in the bank the following day, police said.

Beginning in the early part of 2012, Dollak began to go into the deposit bag and remove money to support his drug addiction, police said. At the beginning, he would try to replace the money he had taken, but “as time progressed and his addiction grew, he was unable to return the money to the deposit bag,” police wrote.

Police estimate that Dollak took $36,000 in deposits from the league from early 2012 through September, according to an arrest affidavit.

That, police said, is based on statements of league president Bob Fyrer, who reviewed league financial records, and Amy Dollak.

Amy Dollak was read and waived her Miranda rights before police interviewed her, according to the affidavit.

The North Central Little League is based in the city and accepts boys and girls ages 5 through 16. It’s home field is on Memorial Avenue near the Bernie Fritz Memorial Playground.

Christopher Dollak was charged with felony theft and receiving stolen property. He was arraigned Monday night before on-duty District Judge Roy Manwaring and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing in Dollak’s case has been scheduled for Oct. 17.

There has been a number of alleged embezzlement and theft cases in Bethlehem this year. For example:

• Last month, city police reported that they are investigating the theft of more than $46,000 from the city office of the Lehigh Valley Drug and Alcohol Intake Unit, a bi-county agency that provides drug and alcohol addiction treatment services.

• Also in September, John D. Lindemuth was sentenced to 11 to 22 months in Northampton County Prison—on work release—for embezzling $240,000 over several years from the Bethlehem Masonic Lodge.

• In August, police said they were investigating the possible theft of $25,000 to $50,000 from the Bethlehem YMCA by one of the non-profit’s employees.

• In January, Bradley H. Scheetz, the former president of the Bethlehem Steelers youth football association, was charged with embezzling more than $34,000 of the organization’s funds between April 2011 and October 2012.