The former chair of the American Motorcyclist Association, Dal Smilie, has been sent to jail for embezzling the AMA’s money.
Smilie, 62, has admitted that he made fraudulent travel-cost claims worth $108,000 over a two-year period when he was a member of the AMA’s board of directors.
He served on the board for 25 years and was its chairman before resigning in 2007. In November 2007 the AMA had an outside agency investigate Smilie’s expense claims.
About three months later, the AMA board of directors decided to turn over the findings of that investigation to law enforcement officials.
Smilie pled guilty to grand theft by deception and receiving stolen property and was taken to jail on Monday, but he can apply for early release after 30 days.
He told the court that he "overstated travel claims" and "co-mingled funds," and he apologized.
Current AMA boss Rob Dingman said he’s "satisfied that justice has been served."
Smilie is a member of the AMA’s hall of shame — er, Hall of Fame.
Wow.
You know, if the AMA has that much money to begin with, membership rates are too high…