A Jacksonville man faces a second-degree felony grand theft charge after Atlantic Beach police say he wrote more than 120 checks to himself from the Atlantic Beach Athletic Association's bank account while serving as the nonprofit's treasurer.
Daniel Crews, 43, was arrested July 30 and booked into the Duval County jail on a single count of grand theft. He was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled for arraignment Aug. 20.
Crews served as ABAA treasurer from 2023 to 2025. According to his arrest report, board members contacted Atlantic Beach police July 3 after the association's new treasurer, Christina Wilds, discovered a financial deficit of approximately $108,000 after taking over the position in November 2025 following Crews' removal.
Investigators say more than 120 checks, totaling $60,076, were made payable to Crews, most labeled as "reimbursements." An additional $9,172.24 in checks were made payable to TeamSnap, a travel baseball payment platform.
"During the investigation, it was found that Mr. Crews had children that play travel baseball and while speaking with Mr. Crews he did admit to using money from the association to pay for TeamSnap," the arrest report states.
Investigators reviewed the checks, which included out-of-state purchases in Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina, as well as a personal mortgage payment.
Of the $108,000 deficit, investigators were able to account for $38,751.67; $9,248.24 remains unaccounted for, according to the report.
Police said Crews told board members the $60,076 in checks represented out-of-pocket expenses he was reimbursing himself for, an explanation ABAA board members disputed.
"According to ABAA guidelines and rules, all reimbursements must be approved by the board members," the report states. "They explained not a single board member was notified about any of the 121 checks Mr. Crews wrote to himself."
The investigating officer wrote in the report: "I could not locate any feasible amounts used to purchase items for baseball teams or grounds keeping for a baseball field."
In a statement to member families, the ABAA Board of Directors wrote:
Dear Parents,
We wanted to make you aware of a matter involving the Atlantic Beach Athletic Association (ABAA).
During the transition to new financial leadership in early 2026, financial irregularities were identified. ABAA's Board of Directors immediately initiated a detailed review of the organization's financial records and reported the matter to law enforcement.
On July 30, 2026, ABAA's former Treasurer was arrested on charges of Grand Theft. This matter is currently being handled by appropriate authorities, and because it remains an active case, we are unable to comment on the investigation.
Please be assured that upon discovering financial irregularities, the Board took immediate action to secure ABAA's financial accounts, strengthen internal financial controls, and fully cooperate with the appropriate authorities. Protecting the integrity of ABAA and maintaining the trust of our players, families, volunteers, league partners, and the community remain our highest priorities.
ABAA's baseball programs and specifically the fall season will continue without interruption. Our focus remains where it has always been, providing a positive, safe, and affordable baseball experience for every child in our community while strengthening ABAA for the future.
We appreciate your understanding, support, and continued partnership.
Sincerely, ABAA Board of Directors
The organization has retained an attorney to obtain records and recover funds from Crews. A letter was sent to Crews requesting reimbursement by June 8, but as of the arrest report's filing, there had been no response. ABAA did not respond to a request for additional comment.
Crews is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
