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A Summerfield resident's arrest July 15 on five counts of embezzling funds from the Summerfield Recreation Association has the town reviewing its books and the non-profit tightening its fiscal procedures.

Thomas R. Valent, 50, a former member of the SRA's board of directors, was arrested by Guilford County Sheriff's deputies for the following alleged charges that amount to embezzling $5,355:

• Feb. 13, 2007, taking 39 checks valued at $3,055;

• Feb. 26, 2007, taking seven checks valued at $700;

• March 2, 2007, taking three checks valued at $380;

• Sept. 6, taking 13 checks valued at $780;

• Sept. 19, taking seven checks valued at $440.

Valent posted a $6,000 secured bond and is due in court Aug. 27.

Valent resigned from the board of directors of the SRA, a non-profit that provides and directs athletic activities for youth in Summerfield and surrounding communities, in late 2007, said SRA President Dale Wyrick.

"We had actually recognized that we had some funds missing shortly after Mr. Valent left," Wyrick said. "We tried to get those back from him, but were not successful, so our board decided to turn the problem over to the Guilford County Sheriff's Department."

The investigation began in December. Wyrick said the checks in question were primarily general registration checks from participants in various sports, but primarily basketball.

Valent, who declined to speak in depth about the case because he had yet to consult an attorney, said the arrest came as a total surprise.

"I had no conversation with anybody at SRA during this time," he said. "I'm sorry it has to be done this way. I worked hard for the kids there for seven-plus years. I'm disappointed that a discriminatory faction wants to deal with operational disagreements over the past 18 months this way."

Former SRA President Jay Copeland, who left the association about the same time as Valent, indicated the association's leaders were going in a direction he disagreed with, leading to his departure.

"I just saw the association taking a route that I didn't think was pertinent to having anything to do with kids' recreation," Copeland said, declining to speak specifically to Valent's charges or what that route was.

According to a bulletin posted by the N.C. Real Estate Commission in June 2007, these are not the first questions involving money to address Valent. The commission revoked Valent's broker license that month finding that "Mr. Valent failed to account for and deposit and maintain rents and security deposits belonging to his clients and their tenants in a trust account in accordance with Commission rules."

Questions surrounding SRA's finances are also not new. Town Council member Becky Strickland, for one, wrote a letter to the Guilford Record early last year questioning the creation of an account by Valent with a similar name to the association - Summerfield Recreation Associates.

Guilford County Sheriff's Det. R.J. Melton said that that account was a personal one of Valent's, adding that people writing checks to the association often use the acronym SRA, which could then be deposited into any account with the same acronym.

Town Manager Michael Brandt said the last time the town gave the association funds was in 2006, when the group was given $5,000 in reimbursement grants,

"We've had dealings with them as far as trying to work with them on ballfield site locations and seeking input on various issues of that sort," Brandt said, adding that Valent had attended meetings of the Parks & Recreation Committee, but has never been a member.

"We have given grants to them in the past that were documented ... They would demonstrate a need, bring receipts to us, and we would then transfer money."

Still, the town is double-checking to make sure no town funds were misused and is asking the SRA to check its books with that in mind, as well.

Wyrick said in the wake of the alleged embezzlement, the organization has become more diligent in tracking its funding and is exploring instituting background checks on its board of directors, all of whom are unpaid volunteers.

"I want to assure, to be clear to our participants, volunteers and kids that play, this incident was outside of the norm of SRA," Wyrick said. "

Contact Kavita Pillai at 373-7157 or kavita.pillai@news-record.com