AUSTIN, Texas — Beers and music were flowing inside of the Austin Eastciders Taproom in East Austin on Saturday, but it wasn't a typical hangout.
Sun Radio hosted a summer drive from July 27 to July 29, bringing in roughly 30 local musicians throughout the weekend in an effort to raise money for its foundation.
The donations are critical to keep the station afloat, as $41,400 from their annual holiday drive on Dec. 31, 2022, is under investigation for fraud, according to the station manager Daryl O'Neal.
"We were contacted by our bank saying someone's trying to pull this money out of the account and that they got a code that said 'donation error,'" O'Neal said.
That someone sent in four different donations: three for $5,175 and another for $24,875. O'Neal said the person behind the donations had initially confirmed over email in January that the contributions were legitimate, but that donor has since gone radio silent.
The funds are now under investigation by the Austin Police Department (APD).
However, O'Neal said it's not just about the money: it's about what Sun Radio does with it. He said the funds primarily go to musicians in Austin, as well as other radio stations that need it.
"It hurts when people steal from us ... It disables our ability to give back to the community," O'Neal said.
"Right now, with record heat, we should be giving money out to help those in the music industry who can't afford to live in Austin and cannot afford electric bills or utility bills," O'Neal added. "But instead, we've got to go raise money to try to start that process over because of fraud, because of selfish people in this world."
To add insult to injury, the station is also recovering from this year's ice storm, which destroyed several of its buildings and towers.
A spokesperson for APD said the case was handed over to the Financial Crimes unit on Jan. 11 after it was originally reported on Jan. 3 to the San Antonio Police Department. B the depart could not say much about the state of the investigation.
"In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, the Department does not have further information to provide regarding this incident," APD said.
O'Neal; his son, Denver; and the rest of the staff at Sun Radio said they will keep pushing forward despite the setback. And with the effort put together by everyone, they only hope they can make up what they lost so they can continue to help local artists.
"We really appreciate every penny," O'Neal said. "It goes to good work in the community and helps support local media and local music and local programming."
The donation drive has ended, but Sun Radio will continue accepting donations through its website.