Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 30, 1994                   TAG: 9405030016
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium

RV DEALER INDICTED ON 4 EMBEZZLING COUNTS

A Radford special grand jury returned four indictments earlier this week accusing Robert E. White, formerly of Dublin, of four counts of embezzlement.

The indictments allege that White, while acting as an agent for the Department of Motor Vehicles, collected license, registration and sales fees from customers of New River Camping Center, but never sent the money to the DMV, Commonwealth's Attorney Randal Duncan said.

White, whom authorities say is now living in Indiana, was indicted in December on 14 charges of fraudulently selling recreational vehicles while there were outstanding liens against them. The charges, which involved about $300,000 in trust accounts, allege that he did not notify the lienholders or apply the sales money to the loans on the vehicles.

Additionally, the December grand jury returned 10 other indictments accusing White of embezzlement, conspiracy to embezzle and obtaining money by false pretenses.

State police and DMV officials investigating the business last year found that recreational vehicles that had outstanding liens against them were no longer on the company's First Street lot.

Some people who bought vehicles from White have found they must pay off two loans, rather than one, before they can obtain titles to the vehicles, Duncan said last year.

Numerous civil suits have resulted because of the discoveries. Some of the banks that held liens have recovered some of the vehicles and sold them to recover losses.

White's wife, June L. White, was indicted in December on three charges of embezzlement and three charges of conspiring to embezzle. She is not charged with selling any of the vehicles.

The Whites are scheduled to go on trial for their joint charges July 25 and 26 in Radford Circuit Court. The week of Aug. 15-19 has been set aside for White to stand trial for the other charges he faces.