Alberta junior soccer coach accused of defrauding team arrested by RCMP

By Canadian Press on February 24, 2025.

EDMONTON — An Alberta junior soccer coach accused of vanishing with thousands of dollars raised by his team has been arrested.

RCMP say they found Randy Knodel on Saturday in a vehicle in a parking lot in Sherwood Park, east of Edmonton.

Cpl. Troy Savinkoff says the 46-year-old head coach of the Selects Football Club’s Tier 1 boys team was arrested peacefully.

About $40,000 that was raised by players of the team disappeared days before they were to travel to Las Vegas for a tournament.

Parents have said they learned the team wasn’t registered for the event, hotel rooms weren’t booked and the money was gone.

Knodel faces 13 fraud charges and has been released on a promise to appear in court March 17.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press