Oct 31, 2007 2:13 pm US/Eastern
Ward, Partners Involved In Battle Over Bar
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
Thousands of dollars of unaccounted money is now the subject of a court battle between Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward and his business partners.
An expert who specializes in accounting fraud testified that the $300,000 was taken from bank accounts for the Locker Room Bar and Grill on the South Side and never recorded in the books.
Nicholas Lettieri, a co-owner is accusing the other co-owners, Kimberly and Korry Pitts and Ward of diverting funds to their personal accounts.
According to the fraud examiner, all Locker Room co-owners are entitled to a one-third share of revenues based on their investment, but the shareholder distribution for the Pitts was $147,000, $20,000 for Lettieri and over $50,000 for Hines Ward if you count two cars he purchased for friends in Georgia.
Ward has maintained all along that he is not making any money, plus he says he was never involved in any of the day-to-day operations.
''My job is really publicity of the bar," said Ward on Sept. 19. "I mean, I don't write checks. I don't even get involved with the money and the accountants and stuff like that.''
The accountant also says Korry Pitts received a substantial payment for general contractor work but there was never any documented paper work provided for that.
The accountant also claims Korry Pitts diverted money to his business, called Will Emporium, and that $44,000 was used to make a payment on an American Express credit card.
Now, the examiner says the huge portion of a $350,000 insurance payment for a broken boiler that flooded the business has also not been accounted for.
The testimony is expected to continue in the trial in civil court with the attorneys for Ward and the Pitts presenting their side of the case.
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