Kettler PTA treasurer faces theft charges

Andrew Edwards

A Surf City parent faces felony charges of stealing funds from a

local branch of the PTA while he served as its treasurer.

Michael Rangel, 42, of Huntington Beach is accused of stealing

from the Kettler Elementary School PTA throughout the last school

year, when he served as treasurer, police said. Police started

investigating the theft in June after Cathy Lindsey, the president of

the Kettler PTA, reported thousands in missing funds.

“Based on all the back records that we’ve been able to reveal ...

it’s close to $40,000 that was missing,” Sgt. Dave Bunetta said.

Rangel has resigned from the treasurer’s post.

The felony complaint charging Rangel with one count of grand theft

was filed in Orange County Superior Court on Monday, Bunetta said.

Rangel was not arrested, but was instructed to appear in court for

his arraignment on Nov. 16.

One reason Rangel was not taken into custody, Bunetta said, was

that he and his attorney have been cooperating with investigators.

The complaint alleges that Rangel stole from the PTA between March

2003 and May of this year. No dollar amount was specified in the

complaint.

The Police Department concentrated its investigation on the months

between September 2003 and May, Bunetta said. Detectives traced

Rangel’s bank records and discovered that deposits in Rangel’s bank

account mirrored withdrawals taken from the PTA’s finances under

Rangel’s watch.

“He was taking [money] from the treasury that was supposed to be

used for other items and depositing them in his personal savings

account,” Bunetta said.

The Kettler PTA raises money to pay for activities not covered by

the school district’s budget, such as assemblies, music programs and

field trip transportation, Lindsey said. The loss was not severe

enough to force the PTA to stop funding any efforts, though the group

will not be able to help the school out as much this school year as

in the past.

“We’ve had to just tweak things,” Lindsey said. “We will provide

for field trips, but we won’t provide the same level of support.”

The Kettler PTA has made efforts to tighten its financial controls

in the wake of the alleged theft, Lindsey said. The group is now in

the middle of its annual fall fundraiser.