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Marina Del Rey Man Accused Of Laundering $50K Of Allegedly Embezzled Girl Scouts Funds

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A Marina del Rey man will face a judge Wednesday on charges of laundering $50,000 of allegedly pilfered funds from the Girl Scouts.

Channing Smack, 51, was arrested Tuesday after being named in a criminal complaint charging him with money laundering, according to U.S. Attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek.

Smack was arrested after being interviewed by FBI agents about the alleged embezzlement and a day after withdrawing $64,500 from accounts believed to contain the proceeds of his scheme, Mrozek said.

Smack worked as the senior property manager of the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, managing 22 properties in the Los Angeles area. According to an affidavit, over the past year and a half, Smack approved invoices provided by a company called ZB Land Maintenance & Engineering, which is registered in the name of Smack's dead brother.

Prosecutors say that between August 2012 and October 2013, Smack directed the Girl Scouts to issue 23 checks to ZB, totaling $368,278. Evidence uncovered by the FBI indicates most of the checks to ZB were deposited into one of two bank accounts opened under the names of the company and Smack's dead brother. But surveillance photographs show a man who looks like Smack making the deposits and withdrawals into these accounts, federal officials said.

Federal seizure warrants were served Monday on three bank accounts believed to contain embezzled funds – the ZB account and two personal accounts in Smack's name. Investigators believe Smack transferred the embezzled funds into these accounts.

The investigation is ongoing and Smack may face further charges in the future, Mrozek said.

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