Glenmore embezzlement: Once-missing Comer will plead guilty
Former country club president Mike Comer will plead guilty.NELSONCOUNTYLIFE.COM/ALBEMARLE POLICE
The former Glenmore Country Club president and homeowner's association treasurer who disappeared July 1 moments before an audit was in Albemarle Circuit Court Monday to set a date to enter a guilty plea on five counts of embezzlement.
Michael D. Comer, 45, appeared dressed in a blue blazer and considerably more clean shaven than when he emerged from hiding July 27. Accused of pilfering $666,000 from the gated community's coffers over the years he served as treasurer, he has been out on $50,000 bond and ordered to stay away from Glenmore.
"We can put this down for a plea," said his Warrenton attorney, Blair Howard, cautioning that he and prosecutor Elliott Casey are waiting to hear from two attorneys–- presumably representing the Glenmore Community Association.
Comer is married to former club golf pro Kandi Kessler and was employed by Glenmore Associates, the company founded by his late father-in-law, Frank Kessler–- who developed the swanky, 700-home, east-of-Charlottesville subdivision.
Mother-in-law Peggy Kessler and brother-in-law, Jeff Gaffney, chairman and CEO of Real Estate III, have have put $300K toward the debt and pledged to repay the rest of the missing funds by August. Neither was spotted in court today.
In the wake of the scandal, Peggy Kessler put her historic 10-acre Glenmore manse on the market for $2.75 million in January. Meanwhile, Mike and Kandi Comer's house at 2930 Milton Village Lane, originally listed for $1.348 million and now reduced to $998K, is under contract, according to their realtor's website.
The Comers' Wintergreen condo, from which Mike reportedly disappeared, 54 Firtree Drive, is for sale for $299,000. However, a Comer-owned investment property at 3803 Richmond Road, last listed for $325,000 (down from $425,000), is no longer showing up on the Multiple Listing Service.
Comer is scheduled to be back in court April 13 to formally enter his plea.
Also in court February 1 was another accused homeowners association embezzler. Kevin Thomas O'Connor, longtime Mill Creek Homeowners Association treasurer, was arrested November 9 and accused of taking $10,000, a number now believed to be significantly higher.
"He has publicly acknowledged his misconduct and continues to make efforts to compensate the homeowners association and cooperate with this investigation," says his attorney, Rhonda Quagliana.
O'Connor will be back in court May 5 and is expected to enter a guilty plea.
13 comments
Glenmore is nothing but a neighborhood with a nice homes and a security gate. Nothing more, nothing less. And the security gate is easy as sin to get through, without any questions.
All I did one day was point to the car that just entered in front of me and said, "I am with them." The lady opened up and said, "go ahead, sir!"
remember when Elvis walked into the White House to greet Nixon all hopped up on prescription drugs?! better times are truly behind us
My man went Bear Grylls when that audit was set to come out. Glenmore isn't all its cracked up to be
Mike Comers future: Plea agreement, family helps financially, rehab, wife leaves, and we never here from him again. When you line your pockets with stolen booty do you think at all about the day you will be caught?
Wow...nice to have rich relatives to bail your butt out....sorry can't be objective on this one.
Tim- this is simply a case of "keepin up with the Joneses." Comer( and probably about 98% of Glenmore residents) thinks his life is valued by how many houses and cars he has. When you start falling behind your neighbor and you don't have the funds to catch up, you start dippin in the cookie jar. Let's see how many "friends" the Comer's have in Glenmore after this debacle.
Is this guy featured on the Faces of Meth website?
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/MethResources/faces/index.html
And yet another local HOA official is in trouble- at Mill Creek. It that lust for power at the most basic level. Even for a few bucks, these scum sucking HOA "officials" think they have reached the pinnacle of their power surge- imagine being President of an HOA with 10's of thousands of forced "members"- they are all over Florida ands Arizona. Ah the power, the money, the jail time......
Tim Brown- it is the entrance to Area 51.......
Liz- you forgot "We are out of control and love it"
and "we're not happy until you're not happy"
Homeowner associations scare me, and here's why:
"10 Things a Homeowners Association Won't Tell You"
1. "We Can't Wait to Get Our Hands on Your Money -- Or Even Your Home."
2. "We're More Secretive Than the CIA."
3. "When in Doubt, We Sue."
4. "You Won't Be Able to Sell When You Want."
5. "We're Poorer Than We Look."
6. "We Can Make Up the Rules as We Go Along."
7. "We Don't Want You at Our Meetings."
8. "We're in Over Our Heads."
9. "We Work for Nothing but Get Compensated in Other Ways."
10. "We're Incredibly Petty."
http://loan.yahoo.com/m/primer13.html
Gasbag, you are correct. I'll tell you one thing, that redneck yankee that works the Lake Monticello gate needs to be running security for the President. My man runs that front gate like its the entrance to Area 51
quote: "I’ll tell you one thing, that redneck yankee that works the Lake Monticello gate needs to be running security for the President."
After what happened at one of the most recent formal affairs at the White House, he might do a better job. :)