Feds: Finance Director Stole $320,000 from Nonprofit
Feds have accused Jarett Lewis of stealing over $320,000 from his employer, a nonprofit organization where he worked as Finance Director. Photo credit LinkedIn.
Lewis is under indictment for nine counts of wire fraud. If found guilty, he faces 20 years in prison, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Director of Finance
According to an investigation by the FBI, Lewis misused his position as Finance Director for the nonprofit organization, misdirecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to himself.
Lewis also allegedly misused the organization’s credit card on at least 11 occasions between Feb. 2, 2022, and Dec. 8, 2022.
Air Travel to Thailand
Among other things, he bought airline tickets for himself and his friends and family for a trip to Thailand, according to his indictment.
A Year of Stealing
Prosecutors say Lewis’s thefts began in October 2021 and lasted until Oct.13, 2022. He stopped working at the nonprofit on Oct. 28, 2022, according to the indictment.
Lewis worked remotely, along with all the other employees, prosecutors say. He prepared spreadsheets, paid vendor invoices and presented financial information to the nonprofit’s upper-level management. He met with company’s executives at least once per week to discuss the finances, while regularly communicating with the CEO about future tasks and the organization’s plans.
Lewis’ invoice-paying responsibilities allowed access to the nonprofit’s bank accounts, according to court documents. They allege he disguised unauthorized payments to himself by using the label “Digital” to direct funds into his own account. He noted in records that these payments had been authorized by the accounting department– another lie, say prosecutors. He also allegedly covered his crimes by preparing and submitting inaccurate balance sheets to higher management.
Similar Charity Frauds
In 2024, there have been plenty of nonprofit and charity frauds to keep authorities busy.
In April, Richard Alan Abrusci, the former CEO of Goodwill Industries of Sacramento Valley and Northern Nevada, was arrested for allegedly committing fraud and stealing $1.4 million from Goodwill and other nonprofits during the five years ending in 2021. You can read more about his alleged crimes here.
In July, Michele Fiore, Las Vegas politician and councilwoman, was indicted for charity fraud after allegedly stealing money dedicated to creating a statue in remembrance of two Las Vegas officers, Igor Soldo and Alyn Beck, who were killed on duty in June 2014. You can read about The Daily Muck’s coverage of the case here.
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