Sacramento Man Accused Of Stealing From Davis Kids Klub
DAVIS (CBS13) — A Sacramento man is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from parents whose children go to the Davis Kids Klub.
The club is a non-profit after-school program that rents space at seven elementary schools in the Davis school district.
Davis police arrested 30-year-old Mark Roberts Wednesday morning at his home in Sacramento. Police say Roberts had been stealing from the kids club for more than three years between 2013 to 2016.
"Not only is it shocking, but it makes me furious when you see who it's affecting: the children in our community," said Abdel, a parent.
Abdel is one of the dozens of parents who send their children to the kids club also known as Access. He says it's disappointing to see someone take advantage of a place that his kids love so much.
But in 2015, Abdel says he was offered a discount, a reduced attendance fee for his son by Roberts, the club's chief operating officer at the time.
Police say Roberts allegedly insisted the payments be made in cash, delivered to him in a sealed envelope or a money order, made out to "Davis Kids Klub."
"He told me if I pay in advance for a full year, I would get a 15% discount," said Abdel.
But according to the club's attorney, that money was deposited into Robert's personal account.
"How he was able to get checks made to Davis Kids Klub and deposit them into this personal account," said attorney Raphael Moore.
The club's executive director, Lynda Yancher, says Roberts was a beloved site director, entrusted to handle the group's finances, and says the news comes as a total shock.
"We had no idea," said Yancher
The loss was discovered after Roberts resigned from his post in 2016 when parents started calling to ask for the same special deal they got the year before.
"It's devasting to find that out, but in the big picture it's the children's safety, and a great staff, that's important and we're carrying on with all those aspects," said Yancher.
While Robert's arrest provides some relief, some parents, including Abdel, say they still love Davis Kids Klub and will continue to send their kids to the afterschool program. He adds this is an unfortunate case that impacts a lot of people.
"In the end, we are affected as a community, because that's money that could have been invested to our children," said Abdel.
A spokesperson with the Davis School District says the Davis Kids Klub is a private entity and not a school district program.
Since the investigation started in September, the club has implemented a number of internal controls so this doesn't happen again.
Roberts' main targets were allegedly low-income parents or single parents. He was booked into the Yolo County Jail on $139,000 bail. After Roberts resigned from the club, he started his own afterschool program called Everest Learning Academy.