Marin nonprofit embezzler sentenced for $650K theft

A girl charged with embezzling greater than $650,000 from a Marin County habit therapy nonprofit was sentenced to state jail on Thursday, authorities stated.

LaShante Ticarra Boyd, a former worker of Middle Level Inc., obtained a time period of three years and 4 months, though the precise time will doubtless be a lot much less with good conduct.

California Lawyer Common Rob Bonta introduced the sentence after a listening to in Marin County Superior Court docket. His division’s white-collar crime crew dealt with the investigation with the San Rafael Police Division.

“Once you steal from a nonprofit, you’re actually stealing from the people and households who depend on that group’s providers,” Bonta stated. “Utilizing your place as an worker of a company to embezzle funds meant to help susceptible individuals in your group is an abuse of energy, and people who commit these offenses should be held accountable.”

Boyd, 38, of Oakland is scheduled to start out her sentence on March 1. In an interview Thursday, she acknowledged stealing the cash however stated she did so on the route of administration. She stated the theft got here to gentle after federal authorities began investigating whether or not the nonprofit was overbilling the federal government.

Boyd resigned from her job as a billing worker in 2019.

“I thank God I acquired away from there and solely needed to take care of a state case and never a federal case,” she stated.

Sushma Taylor, the president and chief government of Middle Level, stated Boyd’s statements are “completely false” and there was no federal investigation. Taylor stated the nonprofit found the crime when Capital One’s financial institution fraud division reported that Boyd had arrange an account in her personal identify on behalf of Middle Level.

“This company cooperated absolutely with the entire legislation enforcement businesses that have been concerned,” Taylor stated.

The crimes occurred from December 2016 by way of April 2019. Boyd took 30 checks payable to Middle Level from the desks of different workers and deposited them into accounts she managed, the prosecution stated.

The state lawyer normal’s workplace charged her with 30 counts of grand theft. The prosecution added a penalty enhancement for white-collar crimes involving greater than $500,000.

Boyd accepted a plea supply and admitted to 2 expenses and the enhancement. The plea settlement included an order to pay Middle Level $651,001.59 in restitution.

Boyd had no legal document earlier than the embezzlement case, in line with a sentencing report ready by the probation division.

Middle Level relies in San Rafael however has operations across the state, together with at San Quentin State Jail and a dozen different prisons. It additionally has a program for veterans and their households in Austin, Texas.

Taylor stated the nonprofit’s fluctuating annual price range is about $10 million to $15 million. The $650,000 embezzlement, which was not coated by insurance coverage, pressured it to curtail some providers.

“We’re a nonprofit,” she stated. “We depend on funds from grants and contracts and donations to assist individuals who don’t have cash. It signifies that we serve fewer individuals.”