Soccer suit settled

Deepa Bharath

A youth soccer leader, accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from

the local youth soccer league, settled a civil lawsuit filed against

him by the league early this month.

Anthony Leon Anish, former American Youth Soccer Organization

regional commissioner, agreed to pay $70,000 to the soccer league in

three payments, court documents show. Orange County Superior Court

Judge William M. Monroe awarded the judgment in favor of AYSO on Aug.

4.

Anish’s pretrial hearing on a criminal case filed by the Orange

County district attorney is scheduled to be held today at Harbor

Justice Center. He pleaded not guilty to the embezzlement charges in

October.

The conclusion of both the civil and the criminal cases will give

closure to an emotional issue, which has deeply affected the

community, said Chris Sarris, regional commissioner for the AYSO.

“We’re a small organization,” Sarris said. “And this has been very

tough on us. This issue has pitted neighbors against neighbors and

kids against their parents. When all this ends, it’ll be a huge

relief for the community.”

But Anish’s attorney Jerry Werksman said his client “has not

confessed to anything with this settlement.”

Anish agreed to pay $70,000 to satisfy a claim of $130,000,

Werksman said. It means that if Anish pays the $70,000 within the

time specified by the judge, AYSO would agree to let go of the

remaining $60,000.

Anish consented to the terms of the agreement not because he was

liable for AYSO’s loss, but because he wanted to put an end to the

lawsuit, Werksman said.

“He didn’t want to spend any more money on attorney’s fees,” he

said.

It is exactly those types of statements that infuriate parents and

community members, Sarris said.

“If he doesn’t confess to taking the money, then why is he paying

the AYSO $70,000?” he asked.

AYSO’s lawsuit, filed on June 20, 2003, accused Anish of four main

improprieties and “numerous other instances of misappropriation,

conversion, misuse and fraud.” The lawsuit sought general and

punitive damages, and the case was set to go to trial on Aug. 9.

Anish began serving as the AYSO’s interim regional commissioner

around February 2001, according to the lawsuit. Nine months later, he

became the regional commissioner. His duties in this position were

collecting and maintaining AYSO funds received from registrations and

fund-raising, according to the lawsuit.

When Anish took over, AYSO had $150,000 in its checking account

with no debts, Sarris said.

“But when he left, we had $18,000 in our checking account and

$65,000 in debt,” he said.

Anish was simply advancing his own money for AYSO’s expenses and

later reimbursed himself, Werksman said.

“He devoted his life to youth soccer, and it’s sad how he ends up

being disliked,” he said. “The very people who are attacking him now

should’ve been helping him.”