Former Analyst Says He Stole From Foundation

A New Jersey man pleaded guilty in a federal court yesterday to mail fraud after admitting he had diverted thousands of dollars in matching charity funds from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation when he was working as a financial analyst there, reports The Times, in Trenton.

Benjamin J. Warner, of Hamilton, N.J., told the U.S. District Court in Trenton that he used some of the money for personal use. The maximum penalty he faces is 20 years in prison and either a $250,000 fine or double the financial gain from the crime, the paper reports. The amount of the theft has not yet been determined.

The foundation said it had hired independent auditors to investigate irregularities found in its matching-gift program, and has made changes to prevent such abuses in the future.

Mr. Warner’s scheme involved recruiting donations to charities that the foundation would match; some donations went to the Tenth American Foundation, of which he was the sole employee.