LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. – The assistant city manager in Lee’s Summit is on paid leave after being charged with stealing. The accusations involve his former employer.
According to court documents, Lee’s Summit Assistant City Manager Daren Fristoe is charged with stealing more than $120,000 from a company he worked for from 2008 to 2013.
Fristoe is charged with stealing money from CCAR, Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair, which he served as the company’s executive director and chief operating officer.
CCAR is a safety, pollution prevention and hazardous material training company for the motor vehicle industry.
According the court documents, Fristoe made unauthorized payments from CCAR to pay for his personal credit card, a bank loan and phone account.
Lee’s Summit City Manager Stephen Arbo says Fristoe is on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the criminal case. He’s specifically charged with theft/stealing property valued at greater than $25,000. The charge was filed last Friday, November 14 in Jackson County.
“I was surprised to get that news. Daren is a very well-respected individual in this community,” Arbo told FOX 4’s Monica Evans. “He has done a lot of good work for our organizations, such as the chamber of commerce.”
CCAR says it discovered the theft when an auditor reviewed financial records in February of 2013. According to the investigation, Fristoe told the auditor the money was inadvertently paid through a CCAR operating account.
Court documents show Fristoe wrote a memo to CCAR two years ago entitled “Incorrect credit card payment” in which he intended to document the misuse of company funds.
Court records say the $120,000 theft also includes $25,000 in company funds Fristoe is accused of using to pay for a personal loan. He’s also charged with using a former CCAR employee’s credit card.
If convicted of the felony stealing charge, Fristoe could face five to 15 years in prison. Court records show that he filed a percentage of his bond of Monday, which was posted at $50,000. He needed to supply 10 percent to be freed.