VALDOSTA, GA -- A club owner was arrested in his own gym for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from the bank accounts of his members, including the town’s police captain.

Mike Vona, owner of Boom Fitness Club in Valdosta, GA, was taken into custody Friday afternoon, according to TV station WCTV in Tallahassee, FL. When asked by a WCTV reporter if he had taken money from his members, Vona replied, “Absolutely not,” as he was being escorted in handcuffs into a police vehicle.

Vona was initially charged with eight counts of financial transaction card fraud and two counts of identity theft. Four more counts of identity theft were later added, with more charges expected to be filed. 

One of the victims is Valdosta Police Captain James Waters, who overheard another officer complaining about unauthorized transactions from his checking account.

“The humorous part of this is when I went out to join (the gym), I told them I wanted to get lighter,” Waters told WCTV. “I just didn’t know they were going to lighten my pocketbook.”

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