An ex-sports anchor was arrested on Thursday for allegedly siphoning tens of thousands of dollars in funds from Alabama’s International Motorsports Hall of Fame to buy a pair of vintage cars for himself and his wife.
Mike Raita, who ran the sports desk at ABC 33/40 for two decades before he was let go in 2017, was cuffed Thursday as part of an indictment by a grand jury, officials told CBS 42.
Raita, 67, came under fire when a recent audit for Talladega’s International Motorsports Hall of Fame revealed a former accounts manager allegedly misappropriated $236,000 in funds between 2019 and 2024.
The former journalist was the organization’s executive director from 2020 to 2024, according to his LinkedIn.
Raita allegedly billed at least two major personal purchases to the hall’s commission during his stint at its helm, according to a report filed by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts.
The damning report disclosed Raita’s purported purchases of a 1968 Camaro Convertible Pace Car and a 1998 F-150.
The vintage Camaro cost $15,000 up front, but required roughly $23,000 extra to refurbish, the report said.
The pickup truck, meanwhile, cost $1,000, according to the report.
Everyone on the hall’s board, including Raita, was removed in the wake of the audit. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s fresh appointees reseated the board in November 2025, with Raita notably absent.
The ex-anchor’s directorial position was a part-time gig. Outside of Talladega, he currently serves as the regional director for Sen. Tommy Tuberville, according to his LinkedIn.
The Post reached out to Tuberville’s office for comment.
Raita was released on a $25,000 bond on Thursday. He was charged with using his position or office for personal gain, CBS 42 reported.
His legal team told AL.com that he plans to plead not guilty.
In his heyday on the sports desk, Raita clinched several Emmy awards and was named the Alabama Sportscaster of the Year by the Associated Press a whopping 10 times.
He was best known as the host of “The Zone” at the Birmingham station. During the segment, he would highlight sports news across the state and help platform local field reporters.
Raita was released from the network when his contract expired in 2017.