Former Lodi GrapeSox owner facing prison time

Steven M. McPherson, who used the name “Stevie Mac” when he owned the SLO Blues and Lodi GrapeSox baseball teams, faces a possible 32-month prison term after pleading no contest to two felony bad-check charges related to the Blues earlier this week.

Steven McPherson

Actual sentencing has been set for April 29, but the plea agreement worked out between the prosecution and the defense had McPherson acknowledge in court on Monday that he would get a 32-month sentence followed by three years of probation.

There were originally five counts on five checks, but McPherson’s plea applies only to two checks that were written to the city of San Luis Obispo for the team’s rental of SLO Stadium at Sinsheimer Park. He did, however, agree that he was responsible for paying just under $20,000 in restitution on all of the checks.

The no-contest plea results in a conviction without an admission of guilt: So McPherson was convicted on the two charges.

McPherson struck a deal to bring the GrapeSox to Lodi in late 2007 and the team ended its inaugural and only season last summer more than $50,000 in debt, with employees and vendors left unpaid. While McPherson fought to bring the team back despite the financial problems, he was unable to secure Zupo Field in 2009, leaving the GrapeSox without a home.

McPherson purchased the Blues in March 2008, and the Blues went on to have one of their best seasons ever. But by the end of summer, McPherson was developing a reputation for not paying his bills.

The Tribune first began writing about the story in September, when teenage snack bar workers said they had not been paid for work performed during the summer.

McPherson was also overdue in his rent to the city at that time, and the checks that later became the heart of this case were written to the city on Sept. 12.

A few of those teenage workers and others who have worked for the Blues have since filed claims of unpaid wages with the state Labor Commissioner’s Office within the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.

All of those claims remain unpaid, as do claims against two other baseball-related businesses owned by McPherson — the GrapeSox and the Sierra Baseball League.

McPherson has already been convicted on grand-theft and bad-check charges in the state of Washington for a total of $160,000 there. And he was convicted and sentenced to three years probation on bad check charges totaling $125,000 in Las Vegas in 2006.

McPherson said little during the proceeding on Monday, although he did tell the judge that he has an agreement with a prior owner who will pay the cost of the restitution involved.

Crandall asked McPherson if he understood that he was ultimately responsible for paying restitution, whatever outside agreements he might have made, and the defendant nodded his head and said that he did.

Joe Vergara, the man who sold the Blues to McPherson for no money down and gave McPherson $43,500 to help finance the summer season, has said he has not spoken to McPherson for many months and has no such agreement.

He said he foreclosed upon the team’s assets, including its name, when McPherson did not make good on paying back the $43,500 in October.

McPherson also admitted in court that he violated terms of his probation in a misdemeanor driving under the influence case that he pleaded no contest to in August by committing the crime of writing the bad checks in the latest case.

Crandall waived the fine for violating probation in the DUI case and gave McPherson credits for 17 days in custody.

News-Sentinel staff contributed to this story.

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Former Lodi GrapeSox owner facing prison time

Steven McPherson could serve 32 months for bad checks related to San Luis Obispo baseball team

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