Charity Leader Charged With Embezzling Nearly $200,000
September 17, 2014 | Read Time: 1 minute
The former chief operating officer of a Philadelphia organization serving the homeless was indicted Tuesday on charges that she stole more than $198,000 from the charity, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Federal prosecutors said Erica N. Brown of Glenolden, Pa., used a corporate credit card to drain money from SELF Inc. from 2005 to 2010 and put the money into a variety of personal expenses, including travel, a personal trainer, and clothing purchases.
SELF operates shelters and other facilities and programs for Philadelphia’s homeless. It received more than $2.2-million in federal money in the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years. Ms. Brown was charged with theft from a program receiving federal funds and faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted, prosecutors said.
