Plea from ex-CLEAN official set for Jan. 11

NilesComer

WINCHESTER — Former Frederick County-based CLEAN Inc. executive Niles Underwood Comer is now expected to enter a plea on embezzlement charges in January.

The 44-year-old appeared in Winchester Circuit Court Tuesday with Assistant Public Defender Kathleen Griffin and had his case reset for entry of a plea at 9 a.m. Jan. 11.

Comer was indicted in December 2011 for embezzlement after allegedly making more than $2,700 in unauthorized expenditures on one of CLEAN’s credit cards.

A more recent indictment from September states that Comer also embezzled more than $200 from Enterprise [Rent-A-Car] Co. of Maryland from June 14 to Sept. 16, 2011.

Comer is also charged with two counts of misdemeanor embezzlement in Shenandoah County General District Court stemming from the alleged unauthorized use of a company credit card in June 2011.

He is accused of making unauthorized charges totaling $2,777.19 for gasoline, groceries, hotel rooms and renting a car from Enterprise Rent-A-Car at 2711 Valley Ave. in Winchester.

CLEAN — Community and Law Enforcement Against Narcotics, a local organization that strives to create a drug-free community and help at-risk youth — is headquartered in the Youth Development Center at 129 Youth Development Court in Frederick County.

Until he surrendered to Winchester police June 14, Comer had not been seen since he was fired as executive director of the nonprofit organization on July 13, 2011.

— Contact Melissa Boughton at mboughton@winchesterstar.com