Triathlon director borrowed club funds to pay his bills

York Somerville later told club members about the $6,000 he took. St. Petersburg police are looking into the transactions, and he has resigned.

By JOHN SCHWARB, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 11, 2003

St. Petersburg police are investigating a local triathlon director who has acknowledged taking $6,000 from an account for the annual Mad Beach Mad Dogs Triathlon.

York Somerville, 62, of Pinellas Park, said he borrowed the money from a race account for which St. Pete Mad Dogs president Barrie Coates said he was the only person authorized to write checks.

Sgt. William Korinek of the police department's economic crime unit said he could not comment on the investigation.

The St. Pete Mad Dogs is one of the largest triathlon clubs in the world, with more than 1,500 members. Somerville was a longtime member and on its board of directors. For the past four years, he has been race director of the Madeira Beach-based Mad Beach Mad Dogs Triathlon.

In an e-mail sent last month to many members of the club, Somerville said that "by Oct. I had no money to pay my bills, so I borrowed $6,000 left in the Mad Beach account to pay the bills over the last three months."

The popular May race operates independently from the club, but Mad Dogs serves as primary sponsor and many of its members either participate or help with its organization. Somerville was paid $12,000 each of the last two years as race director.

"I said I was broke (in the e-mail)," Somerville said. "Financially I'm trying to get my life back in order. "I don't know what anybody else would have done in the same situation. I was having a very bad time."

Coates said that when Somerville served as Mad Beach Mad Dogs race director he essentially had full control over financial matters, and that Somerville was the only signee on a checking account for the event.

"York has told me he has every intent of paying the money back," Coates said. "I'm sure he needed the money. He's one of the hardest workers in this club."

Coates asked Somerville to resign his position on the club's board, and Somerville complied.

Brian Harrington, a St. Petersburg attorney and member of the Mad Dogs, served on the race's committee last year and said changes had been suggested regarding control of race funds.

"We were concerned there was not accountability, proper checks and balances, etc., in handling finances," Harrington said. "The e-mail was the first anyone had heard that he borrowed funds, and 'borrowed' is an interesting euphemism. He could not do that without board approval."

-- Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

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