Ex-Holbrook Little League Officials Arrested In $118K Theft

JACKSON, NJ — The former president and treasurer of the Holbrook Little League have been charged with theft, accused of stealing at least $118,000 from the league since 2014, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato said Friday.

Anthony M. Del Vecchio, 63, and John M. Lehmann, 55, both of Jackson Township, have been charged with second-degree theft and conspiracy to commit theft, Coronato said, for the misappropriation of league funds.

Del Vecchio had been the president and Lehmann treasurer before both abruptly resigned in January amid increasing pressure from families about how the league's money was being spent. Questions also had swirled about the distribution of money from fundraising done last year to support Holbrook's 12-year-old All-Star team, which reached the semifinals of the United States championship pool at the Little League World Series in Williamsport last August.

Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, said both were arrested Friday. Del Vecchio, accompanied by his attorney Richard LoMurro of Freehold, surrendered to investigators Friday morning, he said. Lehmann was arrested at his workplace just after 2 p.m. with the assistance of the Rahway Police Department, Della Fave said.

The arrests stem from an investigation begun in December 2017 by the Economic Crimes Unit of the prosecutor's officeafter receiving an anonymous letter detailing the alleged theft of funds from the Holbrook Little League, Della Fave said.

An extensive review of Holbrook Little League finances from 2014 to present was conducted, with the full cooperation of the league's executive board, which had raised concerns after seeing discrepancies in the accounts, he said.

The investigation revealed that Del Vecchio and Lehmann, who were he signatories on the league's bank accounts, had "converted over $118,000 of Holbrook Little League funds to their benefit," Della Fave said. He did not detail how those funds were spent or how much went to each man.

Investigators also found Lehmann, who held the league's debit card, had misused the card in excess of $500, Della Fave said.

Detective Denis Mitchell was the lead investigator from the Economic Crime Unit, Della Fave said. Senior Assistant Prosecutor Jill O’Malley reviewed the investigative findings and approved the above charges.

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