Ex-Head of Florida Charity Gets 39 Years in $900,000 Theft
May 13, 2014 | Read Time: 1 minute
The former executive director of a now-defunct facility in Fort Myers, Fla., that served people with disabilities was sentenced Monday to 39 years in prison for embezzling $900,000 from the organization, Fox 4 news of Fort Myers reports.
Robert Bruist of Fort Myers was arrested in July 2012 on charges that he diverted money from the Center for Independent Living of Southwest Florida into personal expenditures, including travel to the Virgin Islands and luxury-hotel stays. He was found guilty last month of aggravated white-collar crime, theft, and communications fraud, the Fort Myers News-Press reported at the time.
The center, which provided services to disabled people in five Florida counties, shut down in 2011 due to lack of funds.
