Posted at 8:47 a.m. EST Saturday, December 29, 2001

National Guard sergeant stole $150,000, authorities say

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- (AP) -- State police arrested a Florida National Guard sergeant Friday on charges that he had funneled $150,000 in government money to his own bank account since 1997.

Staff Sgt. Thomas A. Fragale, 36, of Loxahatchee, is charged with altering 54 checks while acting as the senior noncommissioned officer in charge of the local armory's maintenance department.

Authorities said Fragale, a full-time guardsman, altered National Guard checks to make them payable to his lawn maintenance business, which had done some business for the armory.

Fragale, a 17-year member of the guard, would take checks meant for other businesses, write the name of his business in their place and deposit them, agents said.

A routine audit discovered the fraud, officials said.

``He's maintained throughout (the investigation) that it's a bookkeeping error that can be explained,'' Agent Gary Carmichael of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Friday.

Fragale was being held Friday without bond at Palm Beach County jail, and it could not be determined if he has an attorney.

[Routine error? Sounds like he made the 'error' routinely, doesn't it?]

-- Anonymous, December 30, 2001