Suspect in Charity Fraud Fails to Appear in Court; Warrant Issued

An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday for a former RTD police lieutenant after he failed to appear at his scheduled arraignment on criminal charges of allegedly soliciting more than $100,000 from people who thought they were contributing to a charitable cause.

David B. Deluca, 43, was released on his own recognizance Nov. 18 after he formally surrendered. Deluca, a Los Angeles resident, once headed the Police Officers Assn. Ball of Los Angeles County Inc., a group that allegedly solicited money over the telephone in the name of charity.

Prosecutors in the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office allege that Deluca used more than $100,000 of the donated funds to buy equipment for a San Gabriel Valley gym where he worked out.

According to prosecutors, a 10-month investigation revealed that Deluca “made representations” to would-be donors over the telephone that the potential beneficiaries included the YMCA, the Wildlife Way Station, the City of Hope or the Crippled Children’s Fund.

The solicitations allegedly occurred from April, 1987, to January, 1988. In all, more than $200,000 was raised, although Deluca is charged only on a single count of grand theft involving $101,739.

He was fired in January from his job as a $46,000-a-year assistant inspector general at the Southern California Rapid Transit District. Earlier, he had been a lieutenant in the RTD Police Department.

According to Deputy Dist. Atty. Timothy Browne, Deluca’s organization telephoned county residents at random, claiming to be a charitable group that was selling tickets for a ball or a variety show.