A former City of Goodyear employee is accused of manipulating computer records and costing the city $18,000 in unpaid softball fees.
Court records show that a Surprise man was arrested last week for defrauding the City of Goodyear Parks and Recreation Department of about $18,000 in unpaid recreation fees.
Goodyear police report that 32-year-old Ryan Mansfield was arrested May 19 at his apartment near 122nd Avenue and Bell Road in Surprise.
The city told police that parks and recreation employees met with staff from the city finance office in late 2015 to discuss a "significant shortfall in revenue for adult sports."
As they investigated, it was found out that the adult softball account was the one account that did not match their previous year's revenue. They also saw that only 15 of the 39 fall softball teams existed in their registration system. After further investigation they saw that only 14 of the 30 teams existed in the system in the spring softball league.
Police say there was a review of Mansfield's activity in the computer system, used to track adult sports programs. They say it was shown that Mansfield attempted to alter 5 different accounts for adult softball teams in Goodyear.
None of the teams that paid by check or credit card could show that any money was taken out of their accounts. Police say that It seems that the payments were never processed.
When they confronted Mansfield they say he admitted responsibility for the payments not being processed but never admitted to taking any money. Mansfield reportedly said that, "he left all registration forms and payments, including cash on top of his computer at his desk when he left." Police say there was no folder with this information or money on his desk. They believe Mansfield took the cash.
He's been charged with fraudulent schemes, computer tampering and theft.
