BAKER COUNTY, Fla. – The former executive director of the Baker County Chamber of Commerce was arrested Monday after an audit found he embezzled roughly $63,000 from the organization and concealed the loss for years, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office said.
Court documents and a probable-cause affidavit allege Darryl Eugene Register, 62, knowingly withdrew chamber funds without board approval and misrepresented account balances to board members.
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The affidavit said subpoenaed Wells Fargo records showed the chamber account held about $405.52 from September 2012 through June 2025, far less than the roughly $63,000 balance Register had reported to the board.
The affidavit said the discrepancies prompted a financial audit in August 2025 after then-board president James Owens raised concerns. Investigators found that Register routinely provided QuickBooks summaries, not official bank statements, and that those reports showed a static balance of about $63,060.75, masking the true account balance.
According to the affidavit, Register admitted during an Aug. 11, 2025, phone call with Owens that he withdrew $63,000 in 2012 to avoid foreclosure on his home and later repaid the funds in June 2025. Records also show a June 30, 2024, deposit to the Wells Fargo account via a cashier’s check from TruFi Credit Union. Investigators say no board motion or authorization permitted the personal use of chamber funds.
Register faces multiple felony counts, including a scheme to defraud alleged to have obtained property of $50,000 or more, grand theft by larceny for $20,000 to less than $100,000, and embezzlement/false entries. Court papers show a judge set bonds totaling $35,000, according to the warrant and court records.
Register resigned June 14, 2025, and left the chamber in mid-August 2025, the affidavit said. He declined to provide further statements through counsel after the discrepancies were discovered.
The case is pending in Baker County court.