Oakland County Man Stole $697K From Scholarship Fund: Sheriff

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — A 60-year-old Bloomfield Hills resident has been charged with embezzlement after authorities say he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a scholarship fund he was presiding over.

Craig Alvin Maass is accused of stealing $697,000 from the Oakland Hills Caddie Scholarship Trust. The trust, which Maass was president of, raises donations from members of the Oakland Hills Country Club and has awarded over $1 million dollars in the last 40 years to young caddies to help with their education.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, in July 2019 fiduciaries found irregularities in the account while preparing the IRS 990 Form required for non-profit entities. A forensic audit uncovered that $697,000 had been embezzled and personally used by Maass, police said.

Authorities investigated and arrested Maass’ on Jan. 31. He was arraigned on six counts of embezzlement by a fiduciary over $100,000 — a 20-year felony — and given a $700,000 cash surety bond with no 10 percent. He returns to court Feb. 10.