Montrose Pony Rides Gave Investigators Clues on Drayman

Montrose pony ride earnings were what led police to suspect former Glendale Mayor John Drayman of embezzling the Montrose Shopping Park Association, according to the Glendale News-Press. 

Drayman has been indicted on felony charges that he allegedly embezzled nearly $305,000 from the , according to the District Attorney's Office. 

Police went through a 3-foot-high pile of bank records and after a year-long investigation learned that in Aug. 25, 2010, Drayman reported the market earned $363.45 for the association, however, according to Jerry Uebel--pony ride organizer--the pony rides made $345 that Sunday, The News-Press reported.

This meant that food and collectibles vendors only earned $18.45 in one Sunday, although the system was set so that food vendors gave 10% of their proceeds and other vendors paid $35 for the day, The News-Press reported. 

Drayman, 54, was arraigned at a downtown Los Angeles courtroom May 8 where he pleaded not guilty to following a 28-count grand jury indictment unsealed by Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg, officials said. 

Drayman faces up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted. His bail was set at $200,000 and he was released with help from the Thompsons and Weismans, both Crescenta Valley families and friends of Drayman. 

The Weismans apparently wrote a $10,000 check and the Thompsons contributed $6,000 for the bond, The News-Press reported. The Weismans also put up a home they own as collateral. 

Patch contacted the Weismans who declined to comment. 

Michael Kraut, Drayman's attorney, says his client is innocent and he believes the Montrose local will be exonerated, The News-Press reported. 

Beginning in 2002, Drayman served as the director of the Montrose Shopping Park Association's Sunday Harvest Market, along Honolulu Avenue in the heart of Montrose. 

His role as director meant collecting proceeds from the local event and giving the money to the association's treasurer. 

 in May 2011 and reported it to Glendale Police Department, the indictment states. 

The indictment alleges that Drayman embezzled an estimated $305,000 between Jan. 1, 2004 and April 30, 2011 from the farmers' market and laundered the money through his personal bank account, officials said. Drayman left office last year. 

Drayman allegedly committed perjury by omitting sources of income on his Fair Political Practices Forms. He allegedly submitted a false credit application to a mortgage lender in 2010 and did not report income to the California Franchise Tax Board, according to the indictment. 

The Glendale Police Department and the Franchise Tax Board launched an investigation of Drayman and the Montrose Shopping Park's Sunday farmer's market.

Drayman is charged in BA396116 with one count of embezzlement by a public officer, 10 counts of filing a false tax return, five counts of money laundering, three counts of forgery, one count of submitting a false financial statement and eight counts of perjury. The indictment also includes an excessive loss allegation that the loss exceeds $100,000.

Related: