Drayman Investigation Shines Spotlight on Organizational Ties

The Montrose Shopping Park Association and the financial curiosities of the weekly Harvest Market find themselves under scrutiny of the heels of an embezzlement investigation into John Drayman, former Glendale City Councilman and former president of the Montrose Shopping Park Board.

Police say the alleged embezzlement is connected to an organization to which  Drayman has ties, but will not say which one.

But Barry Allen, publisher of the Vanguard News Service, believes the Montrose Shopping Park Association is involved.

“It is our unconfirmed understanding that the [Drayman embezzlement] investigation is involved with the Montrose Shopping Park Association,” he wrote in an e-mail alert.

The Glendale News Press has not published any assumptions regarding which organization Drayman’s embezzlement investigation is tied to. However, the GNP published a story Friday afternoon that explores Drayman’s embezzlement investigation, his involvement in the MSPA and the Harvest Market's recent turn of good fortune.

“Weeks before Glendale police launched an investigation into allegations that former City Councilman John Drayman had embezzled money from a local organization, the Montrose Shopping Park Assn. began to ratchet up financial oversight of its Sunday farmers market, records and interviews show,” reported the GNP.

The story goes on to say that after a “Harvest Market Oversight Committee” was formed by the MSPA in April, revenue generated by the Sunday market spiked.

“Until recently, the association’s financial woes were deepening.  As of March 3, the market had brought in an average of roughly $600 per week and was forecast to have an annual loss of $52,000, according to a treasurer’s report….

"But that all changed shortly after the new oversight committee was created. Suddenly, reported revenues spiked. While a treasurer’s report was not available for April or May, market manager Mark Sheridan said April 10 and 17 were the best revenue generators of the year.

"Even Drayman, in an April 17 email to a News-Press reporter, referred to the rise in reported revenues as a 'strange, but really terrific' event," reported the GNP.

The GNP reports that Drayman was on the MSPA financial committee that prepared the 2009 budget.

Drayman joined the MSPA board in 2002, and became board president in 2006. He spearheaded the creation of the Harvest Market in 2002. He served on the Glendale City Council from 2007-2011, but was still involved in the MSPA during his term.

Police allege the embezzlement occurred while Drayman was on the City Council, and have confirmed that it is not connected to ADI.

Drayman has not returned any calls from Patch regarding the or the