Former golf course operator turns self in

CLOVIS — The former operator for the Clovis Municipal Golf Course turned himself in to police Wednesday evening, and has pleaded not guilty to charges he withheld information on loan balances attached to equipment he sold the city in May.

Carlos “Charlie” Maciel, 66, was booked into the Curry County Adult Detention Center after surrendering himself to Clovis Police Det. Randy Pitcock, and released less than an hour after he was booked on a recognizance bond.

He is facing a civil lawsuit from the city and a criminal charge of removal or disposal of encumbered property over $20,000. He waived his initial appearance in Curry County Magistrate Court on Thursday.

According to an arrest affidavit filed Tuesday in Curry County Magistrate Court:

• Clovis City Attorney Jared Morris met with Pitcock Aug. 20 for a report of fraud. He said Maciel ended Real Golf LLC’s contract with the city to operate the course and was paid about $230,000 for material to be used by Touchstone Golf. Of that total, $190,000 was for maintenance equipment. Morris said the bill of sale signed by Maciel indicated the items were owned outright and Maciel had the right to sell them.

• Morris said in June, TCF Equipment Finance contacted the city regarding $85,000 still owed on equipment. He said the finance company was told by Maciel that the city would pay off the outstanding debt.

• More than 30 phone messages by Morris to Maciel were unreturned, and a July 22 visit to the Tucumcari Municipal Golf Course, where Maciel is the golf pro, came on a day Maciel wasn’t in the office.

• On Aug. 27, Maciel returned a call to Morris. When told about the $85,000 still left on the equipment, Maciel said he signed the paperwork presented to him and didn’t know anything beyond that, and that he’d have his lawyer straighten things out with the city.

• Morris met with Pitcock again Aug. 29, noting he’d received information on additional debt Maciel had on equipment with DLL Finance, John Deere and Bank of Clovis.

• Pitcock executed a warrant for Maciel’s bank accounts. Items noted between May 17 and Sept. 5 included eight checks to John Deere totaling $2,425, two checks to Bank of Clovis totaling $2,150 and 12 cash withdrawals totaling $57,400.

• The total outstanding loan balance between the four creditors, as of Sept. 12, was nearly $161,000.

A call placed to Maciel’s counsel, Nancy French of Tucumcari, was not returned.

Maciel declined comment earlier this month.