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Former Volunteer Tate Band Boosters Chairman Charged With Grand Theft, Fraud
May 5, 2025
A Cantonment man is charged with allegedly stealing over $5,200 from the Tate High School band boosters.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigation led to the arrest of 40-year-old Ronald W. McKinney, Jr. on felony charges of grand theft, fraud, and fraudulent use of a credit card.
According to an arrest report, the investigation began when school officials reported possible financial irregularities within the Tate Band Boosters Association.
McKinney, a volunteer, resigned as chairman of the band boosters “for personal reasons” during an October 25, 2024, football game, the report states. He had held the chairman position since July 2021.
Investigators said that after McKinney’s resignation, an item inventory was conducted and multiple food products that were not carried or sold in the Tate band program were discovered on a Sysco invoice that was purchased through a Tate Band Boosters checking account at PenAir Credit Union. A further review of Sysco purchases for the 2023/2024 school year, and there was a total product value of approximately $1,998 for items not sold or used by the Tate Band program.
McKinney allegedly used a band booster’s band card to make purchases totaling $1269.82 from Sam’s Club, but Sam’s would not provide the boosters with information about the purchases because they were made through a personal Sam’s account in McKinney’s name, according to the ECSO. The sheriff’s office has filed a subpoena for the records from Sam’s.
McKinney allegedly also used the band booster’s bank card to purchase three packages of 100 count silver plastic plates, a salad cooler, and an inflatable bar from Amazon.
The report states the Sysco account was attached to McKinney’s name with the Tate Band Booster Association’s tax exempt information, and that Sysco would deliver the food orders to the Tate campus before they were stocked in the concession stand by McKinney.
Investigators learned that McKinney had a food business that appeared to be named “Best Bad Dad Fun Food Lab,” according to the arrest report.
Tate High Principal Laura Touchstone told investigators that McKinney called her and stated that he had broken his partnership with his church and had previously used the church’s account to order from Sysco. She stated that McKinney claimed that Sysco was supposed to keep his ordered items separate from those of the band boosters and that he had just noticed that they were combined.
During an interview at the Sheriff’s Office, Tate Band Director Ronald Gray told deputies that he had identified 187 items totaling $3,281.93 that were purchased with the Tate Band Booster’s debit card but were not for the band. Some of those items included fruits, sushi, pizza, salmon fillets, catfish fillets, clothing, salad ingredients, premium plastic plates and cutlery.
McKinney’s wife sent $2,000 to the band boosters through Zettle on October 28, 2024, according to the ECSO report, which also states McKinney’s wife was making treasury reports and acting as treasurer, and that a band boosters PenAir card assigned to her was used to make the unknown Sam’s Club transactions. To date, McKinney’s wife has not been charged with any crime.
Comments
6 Responses to “Former Volunteer Tate Band Boosters Chairman Charged With Grand Theft, Fraud”
What doesn’t make much sense is why the organization doesn’t require approval from more than one (unrelated) person to make purchases. If Sysco had two separate customers; one being the booster club and the other being the Fun Food Lab, the only way Sysco would’ve charged the Booster Club card, for the personal business purchases, is if someone gave them that card (or card info) for personal business purchases. Merchants don’t just randomly switch payment accounts, without approval.
These kind of people know exactly what they’re doing (stealing and not being truthful). They believe doing good in one situation will overshadow the bad in another. Remember: Good things done for any reason out of the goodness of your heart is precious; those rewards alone are numerous and eternal..Being caught in wrongdoing is a given and always happens sooner or later.
When will these booster clubs start doing audits on accounts and start checking every thing.The school board and superintendent have some responsibility to make sure theses clubs aren’t being ripped off.
Stealing money from the kids, Damaging the band program reputation. He and his wife were a cancer to the program and I’m glad they are gone. Now the other boosters have to pick-up the pieces. Thank goodness the new band director is a heck of a guy and has an unbreakable spirit that is a lighthouse for those kids.
So he was using funds to prop up his personal food business, which he most likely profited from. So he most likely doubled his money and never paid back what was taken, other than 2k which is just less than half what he took. So he is technically on the hook for about 3.2k. Doubt there will be jail time. Probably 2 to 5 probation, which will cost 3x what he took.
Should also have felony fraud charges for using the tax exempt number for personal use by cheating the state and county out of tax revenue.