Club embezzlement case continued

January 18, 2006|by PEPPER BALLARD

The case against former Funkstown Moose Lodge Administrator David Brandenburg, charged with embezzling more than $36,000 from the club in 2002, was continued Tuesday in Washington County Circuit Court.

After a joint motion was entered for a continuance for the purposes of "further investigation" by Deputy State's Attorney Steven Kessell and Brandenburg's attorney, Lewis Metzner, Circuit Judge W. Kennedy Boone III found that good cause was shown to grant the delay.

March 30 was set as Brandenburg's new date for trial. Kessell said the case will "go or not go on that date."

Brandenburg, 52, whose address is listed on charging documents as 13822 North Valley Drive, north of Hagerstown, is charged with two counts each of felony theft, felony theft scheme and embezzle misappropriate in connection with $36,000 in missing membership dues from the Funkstown Moose Lodge between April 2002 and September 2002.

Brandenburg is the arena manager at the Hagerstown Ice & Sports Complex, he confirmed Tuesday when called at the skating rink.

The Sheriff's Department alleges in charging documents that Brandenburg took membership dues - $40 for existing members and $60 for new members - from a number of applicants and issued them fake "temporary" membership cards, saying they would receive their "official" membership cards from Moose International shortly afterward, but those cards never came.

Funkstown Moose Lodge Administrator Mike Stumbaugh contacted police in January 2005 to report the missing money, which was called to his attention by Moose International. The international organization normally receives a portion of local membership dues, but had not received payments from the Funkstown lodge "for several years," documents state.

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