It sure seems like this always happens in Democrat-dominated jurisdictions, but here we are again, the head of a San Francisco nonprofit that was ostensibly founded to help the homeless has been busted. What is she accused of? Bilking the organization she was the head of for $1.2 million.
The former head of a San Francisco homelessness services nonprofit, who has been accused of misappropriating more than $1.2 million in public funds, was charged Monday with nine felonies.
Gwendolyn Westbrook, 71, former CEO of the United Council of Human Services, faces charges that include misappropriation of public funds, grand theft, and filing four years of false tax returns.
Westbrook was booked into county jail Friday, according to the Sheriff’s Department, but is no longer listed in custody. She is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Hall of Justice.
"Hall of Justice" sounds like something out of a superhero comic book, but we can hope that this process will actually mete out some justice, should this Gwendolyn Westbrook be convicted; and yes, I would point out that, like any American citizen, she's entitled to the presumption of innocence and due process.
Still, though, the evidence doesn't look good for her; in fact, it looks like she was doing everything but shouting it from the rooftops.
Prosecutors allege that between 2019 and 2023, Westbrook misappropriated more than $1.2 million from UCHS accounts through unauthorized self-payments, improper cash withdrawals, and fraudulent reimbursement practices that diverted public funds for personal use. She is also accused of directly stealing $91,000 from the organization. Court documents allege that additional large sums withdrawn from UCHS accounts remain unaccounted for.
Here's the really fun part:
According to the lawsuit, Westbrook allegedly told staff about purchasing and paying off vehicles, including a Tesla for herself, a Jeep Renegade for a close family friend, and two vehicles for cousins, while also giving an Infiniti SUV to a niece. Other expenses alleged in the complaint include “a trunk full of high-priced jewelry” driven around by Westbrook and obtained from one of the nonprofit’s board directors, as well as payments for family members’ weddings and for in-vitro fertilization procedures for a relative.
In short, she bragged about her theft, and flaunted it by buying expensive cars. Sorry, but that's stupid on stilts.
Read More: Democratic Auditor Takes Own Party to Court After $12M Fraud and 72% Vote for Audit
So how do these people get in these positions? Many years ago, an old career cop of my acquaintance, an Iowa State Trooper, told me that every crook that he ever dealt with in his career always exhibited three character traits: Greedy, mean, and stupid. He said the proportions varied, but all three were always present. If the charges filed against Westbrook are proven in court, if all this is true, then I would say that she's overloaded on the greedy and stupid part.
What is it with these nonprofits and "charities" that makes them so rife with fraud? What is it with the people who run them, people like Gwendolyn Westbrook is accused of being, that they can piously proclaim their compassion for the people they purport to help, and then steal funds intended to help them?
In any case, here's another episode of How Not To Steal Money: Don't start buying expensive cars and trunks full of jewelry.
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