A former sports anchor was arrested after allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Alabama and using the ill-gotten gains to purchase vintage vehicles for himself and his wife.
Mike Raita, 67, known to racing and sports fans as the captain of the sports desk at ABC 33/40 for 20 years before being laid off in 2017, was arrested on Thursday as part of a Grand Jury indictment, according to CBS 42.
Raita became the subject of the investigation after an audit of the Talladega International Motorsports Hall of Fame found that an account manager with access to the organization’s funds had misappropriated $236,000.
The former sports desk manager served as the Hall of Fame’s executive director from 2020 to 2024, according to his LinkedIn.
The purchases with the fraudulent funds, according to the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, are a 1968 Camaro Convertible Pace Car and a 1998 F-150.
While the report states that the pickup merely cost $1,000, the Camaro cost $15,000, with refurbishing costs totaling $23,000.
The alleged theft led to the Hall of Fame’s entire board of directors being removed.
Rairta faces charges of using his position or office for personal gain, CBS 42 reported.
He was released on Thursday on a $25,000 bond.
Raita won multiple Emmy Awards and was named Alabama Sportscaster of the Year 10 times.
His legal team has told AL.com that he intends to plead not guilty.
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