Director turned crook...!
8/27/01

The Monday night POT tournament got started many years ago back in the Little River days.  It has always been an open pot tournament. Director got changed over the year every so often.  Anyone can pretty much volunteer to be one.  Each year, there are a few anglers that also volunteer to help out on various tasks.  Last year and this year was directed by Geoff McCarthy, an Australian angler.  Geoff was well known in Georgia.  He even helped with Moby tournament, etc.  Early this year (2001) Geoff even caught a pair of cheaters.

Well, it is to our surprises and with great disappointment to learn that Geoff himself was also dishonest.  No, he didn't cheat on the tournament (poundage, etc.).  He cheated on the entry fee.   $4 was collected from each team each tournament to pay for liability insurance (that's what he said to everyone he was going to do).  It supposed to cover in the range of millions of dollars.  It turned out that he pocketed the money and had no plan to buy insurance.  However, he told every one that he did.  It turned out that he was leaving the tournament in the middle this year to go back to Australia.  Right before he left, he reported that the classic money was stolen from his house.

A few anglers got suspicious.  Geoff insisted and lied to everyone that he had the insurance policies all the way till the last day (8/27/01).  And with the few anglers persistent, and their actions, they finally caught Geoff with the help of Cherokee County Police Captain and his staff.  Geoff admitted that he pocketed the insurance money.  This is a felony called "Grand theft by deception".  He finally returned the insurance money for this year and now went back to Australia.

As to the stolen classic money, the police are still investigating.

The few anglers that deserved many thanks along with Cherokee County Police Captain and his staff are Allen Brooks, Bill Dare, and James Tanner.

So, we now have a new director, Bill Dare.  Bill had done this for a few years in the past and everyone liked and respected Bill.  He's a good and honest guy and had done an excellent job before.  Everyone was pleased that he agreed to take on the rest of this year and will run the one next year too.

It's a damn shame to have crooks in this world.  But we won't let that spoil the fun.  There will be more cheater.  It’s just a matter of time.  But all the cheaters beware; the Monday night tourney guys are ready for you!

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