45°
On Monday, April 8, Charles Pia, 62, Stamford, was arrested for larceny after a grocery store, located on the East Side of Stamford, claims they were approached by Pia in 2015 to cater an event for the league, said Stamford Police.
Pia allegedly requested a price reduction as the event was for the girls softball league. The grocery store reduced the catering price by $2,000 and charged the league $4,000.
Despite numerous attempts to obtain payment from Pia, the invoice was never satisfied, police said.
The store's owners filed a formal complaint, and he was arrested on Monday, April 8. He was later released on a $25,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 18.
Pia was first arrested on March 29 on charges of embezzling funds from the softball league for his personal use after the police department received complaints about his suspected impropriety for many years, police said.
Over the course of a year and a half long investigation, police determined that Pia improperly utilized the girls softball funds to pay for services to his personal vehicle and to pay utility bills at his home, police added.
The total amount stolen from the organization was just over $1,500, police said.
It was also found that Stamford Girls Softball did not file the proper documentation with the state to qualify as a charitable organization, yet Pia continued to purport on the website and conducted business as a charitable organization.
The department is asking anyone with information on the financial workings of the Stamford Babe Ruth Girls Softball organization to contact Investigator Heather Bozentko at 203-977-4407.
Click here to follow Daily Voice New Canaan and receive free news updates.
