Metro

Youth baseball league treasurer accused of embezzling $90K

The treasurer of a Manhattan youth baseball league was busted Friday for allegedly stealing more than $90,000 from the not-for-profit’s coffers.

William Jacobvitz, 56, was the only volunteer with access to the bank account of New York Gothams Youth Baseball, a program that provides athletic training to teens, many from underprivileged families, according to court papers.

Jacobvitz allegedly withdrew cash from the league’s account 50 times between 2011 and 2014 and spent nearly $3,000 of the money on car repairs, said prosecutor Catherine McCaw.

He was arrested Friday morning at his Upper West Side apartment and arraigned a few hours later in Manhattan Supreme Court on one count of grand larceny.

The glum defendant was wearing a Kenyon College baseball ­T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “Step Up to the Plate.”

Prosecutors told Justice Jill Konviser that Jacobvitz’s scheme was exposed when another employee demanded access to the not-for-profit’s bank records.

“The defendant tried to put her off for weeks and tried conceal the theft by trying to show her spreadsheets,” said McCaw.

Jacobvitz finally broke down and admitted to the swindle but tried to minimize the amount he had taken.

“He said $20,000, then $50,000 when pressed, when in reality he took in excess of $90,000,” the prosecutor said.

McCaw asked the judge to set $50,000 bail citing the seriousness of the charges.
Defense lawyer Stephen McCarthy said Jacobvitz has no criminal record and has lived at his West 98th Street apartment, where he and his wife raised their son, for 22 years.

He worked as a manager of a restaurant near Madison Square Garden for nearly three decades before transitioning into a job in the construction industry, the ­lawyer said.

Konviser set $20,000 bail as ­Jacobvitz’s distraught wife watched from the gallery.

“I expect the DAs Office to maintain their obligation to treat Mr. Jacobvitz fairly and do justice,” McCarthy said as he left court.

The league didn’t immediately return calls requesting comment.

“Many nonprofits rely on charitable donations to support programs benefiting the communities they serve,” said District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. in a statement.

“The defendant is charged with misappropriating tens of thousands of dollars that may have otherwise gone toward scholarships for aspiring young athletes,” Vance said.