MLB pitcher turned accountant charged with stealing $250K from Fridley business

A Twin Cities man who had two brief stints as a Major League pitcher has been charged with cheating a post-baseball employer out of roughly $250,000 while working as its accountant.

Ben Hendrickson, 37, of Excelsior, was charged in Anoka County District Court last week with four counts of theft by swindle.

Hendrickson, who is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 30, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

According to the criminal complaint: While working for Floors Northwest in Fridley, where Hendrickson worked for several years until he left his job last year, he would alter the amount of cash received to make it look like less was collected from sales staff. Hendrickson deposited the lower amount and kept the rest. Nearly $160,000 of the money he stole was taken in the final two years of his employment.

He also allegedly shifted $10,000 of the company's money to a personal health care account that paid his medical bills.

Hendrickson admitted to police that he stole from the company but said he thought the total was between $50,000 and $75,000. He said he took the money "to help pay bills as he was working paycheck to paycheck and not getting ahead."

Hendrickson's progression to the big leagues started at Bloomington Jefferson High School before he was drafted in 1999 by the Milwaukee Brewers. He bounced around in the minors until the Twins released him in June 2009 while he was with Class AAA Rochester.