BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. – A Bloomfield Hills man who used to be president of the Oakland Hills Caddie Scholarship Fund has been arrested for embezzling nearly $700,000 from the trust for his own personal use, according to officials.
Officials launched an investigation into Craig Alvin Maass, 60, when trustees with the scholarship said they noticed irregularities in the account while preparing the IRS 990 form required for nonprofits in July 2019.
Oakland Hills officials requested a forensic audit, which revealed $697,000 had been embezzled and converted for Maass’ personal use, police said.
Since the fund started, $1 million worth of scholarships have been handed out. Now, the president is behind bars. Maass was arrested last Friday. He was charged with embezzlement.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said why it took so long for the arrest to happen.
“We have people in our special investigations union that have done these and continue to do these, but they take time. They have to serve search warrants on banks and serve document warrants,” Bouchard said.
Maass faces the possibility of 20 years in prison because fidiciaries, those required to put others’ interests above their own, have a special duty to protect trust funds.
Bouchard said Maass went to court assuming he’d get released in time for the Super Bowl.
“He had showed up at court for his arraignment and a friend had brought $50,000 in cash anticipating to bond him out and they were going to get on a plane and go to the Super Bowl," Bouchard said.
Maass didn’t make it to the Super Bowl. The judge gave him a $700,000 cash surety bond, which he was not able to raise.