Man arrested for embezzling money and goods from Simi Valley Youth Baseball League

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - Simi Valley Police arrested one man for the embezzlement of large sums of money and goods from the Simi Valley Youth Baseball League.

Jeffrey Melnick, 52, was the treasurer and a board member for the local youth sports club over the past six years. He was arrested after an investigation and multiple search warrants.

Simi Valley Police were made aware of the alleged embezzlement in October 2019.

Police said during his time managing the league's finances, Melnick used the league's money to fund personal purchases including car parts, electronics, personal baseball supplies, personal items from Costco, expensive dinners and various other items.

During the investigation, officers determined that Melnick embezzled over $100,000 from the league over the past three years. It is unclear if he continued his crimes prior to the investigation period.

A search and arrest warrant for Melnick and his residence was executed by the Simi Valley Detective Bureau on Jan. 9.

During the search of Melnick's home, officers recovered dozens of stolen and embezzled items.

With the assistance of the Ventura County Auto Theft Taskforce, Melnick was arrested in the City of Thousand Oaks and was booked at the East Valley Sheriff Station.

Melnick was charged with six counts of grand theft and his bail was set at $10,000.

If you have any information related to this investigation, please contact Detective Josh Lorencz at (805) 583-6224.