2 charged with theft from Belmont Country Club

10/24/2009

BOWLING GREEN - Two former employees of Belmont Country Club were indicted by a Wood County grand jury this week on charges they stole thousands of dollars from the private club in Perrysburg Township.

Gary Kovac, 50, of Rossford, the club's former manager, was indicted on two counts of theft and one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity for using club-issued credit cards for personal purchases totaling nearly $69,000 over 7• 1/2 years.

Barbara Muir, 64, of Maumee, who was the club's accountant, was named in a bill of information charging her with one count of theft for making nearly $52,000 in personal purchases with a Belmont credit card over 6• 1/2 years.

Perrysburg Township police Detective T.R. Curtis said the losses to Belmont may be higher.

"We were only able to go back to 2002 to obtain credit card records, so unfortunately, there'd be no way to determine what the actual dollar amount to Belmont was because this was going on, at least by one of them, since the mid '90s," he said.

Mr. Kovac's indictment alleges that from July 15, 2002, through Sept. 30, 2008, he used an American Express card to make personal purchases totaling $24,882.

"Mr. Kovac would then have Barbara Muir, the accountant for Belmont Country Club, pay the American Express bill with funds from Belmont Country Club," the indictment states. The club was not aware of the American Express card "until Ms. Muir retired and a new accountant was going through the books," the indictment states.

Mr. Kovac also allegedly was issued a VISA card by Belmont for business expenses, but between June 1, 2002, and Jan. 31, 2009, used the card for personal expenses totaling $44,072.

Again, Ms. Muir paid the bill "with funds from Belmont Country Club with knowledge of Mr. Kovac's personal expenses," the indictment states.

From January, 2002, through Aug. 30, 2008, Ms. Muir allegedly used a MasterCard belonging to Belmont to make $51,773 in personal expenses and paid the bill with funds from the club.

The club on Bates Road features an 18-hole golf course, swimming pool, and tennis facilities.

Also indicted this week was a former Bowling Green State University employee who is charged with forging overtime slips for herself between April, 2004, and 2007.

Laurie Maher, 38, of Haskins was indicted on two counts of theft in office and one count of tampering with records.

Wood County Prosecutor Paul Dobson said Ms. Maher is accused of stealing more than $20,000 from BGSU.

Both cases were assigned to Wood County Common Pleas Judge Reeve Kelsey.

Contact Jennifer Feehan at:

jfeehan@theblade.com

or 419-724-6129.