Accused Of Embezzlement While Manager Of Hastings City/Barry County Airport

While the rumors were swirling hot and heavy over the last few days, ANN has now confirmed substantive details (and held this story until verified) involving the legal troubles surrounding Jason Blair, the Executive Director of NAFI. Blair was arrested earlier this month and charged with embezzlement. The charge stems from some 2,510 gallons of fuel that allegedly went unpaid while he was the manager of the Hastings City/Barry County Airport in Michigan.

It is still not clear where the unpaid fuel went. The Hastings Banner reports that an audit of airport records from 2008 uncovered the discrepancy, but Barry County administrator Michael Brown that the cause could have been anything from a faulty accounting system to a broken pump. Investigating officers found that access to the fuel pumps was open, and they could drive up to the pump and find one of the gas nozzles unlocked and lying on the ground. At that time, it was determined that a conviction would be difficult to obtain due to the access to the fuel pumps.

The investigation was re-opened in 2009, at the request of Brown and current airport manager Mark Noteboom. Brown noted in police documents that in one instance in the fall of 2008, a pilot was able to dispense 25 gallons of fuel from the self-service pump but was only charged for 9 gallons. He also said there was no verification process at the airport to accurately track how much fuel was delivered.

Blair had reportedly issued "test cards" for the pumps, which capture information about the buyer but do not pay for the fuel, to seven businesses at the airport. Blair was responsible for collecting money for the fuel dispenses with the test cards, and those businesses were given a discount. Two of those businesses have since settled their debts with the airport, and officials say discussions are underway with a third.

While Blair's company, Dodgen Aircraft, had racked up over $25,000 in fuel costs for which no record could be found, Noteboom said all but 240 gallons could be accounted for, and that discrepancy could be due to spillage or evaporation.

Still, when Noteboom took over as airport manager, he said Blair was difficult to work with during the audit. Blair suggested that the payments were recorded to the wrong accounts, but Noteboom said he was unable to find any record payment from Dodgen Aircraft.

Hastings City/Barry County Airport

The paper reports that Blair told investigators that an accountant was responsible for ensuring Dodgen Aircraft's bills were paid, and that the accountant during the time in question had been terminated from the company for "inappropriate accounting practices," among other things. Dodgen's general manager Vickie Heckman said she could not find any records of payments to the airport, nor did she received invoices when they were requested from Administrator Brown.

The accountant, Scott Miller, told investigators that Blair's priority was payroll, and that Blair decided which bills to pay after the payroll was run.

FMI: www.barrycounty.org