Crisis Ministries releases statement regarding wire fraud charges against former employee
In June 2013, Crisis Ministries learned that a long-time trusted employee, Carol Libby, had been stealing money from the organization. Crisis Ministries has been working with law enforcement and other key parties since June 2013 to discover the extent of the theft. The United States Attorney has taken jurisdiction over this matter and has filed charges against Libby in federal court. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rhett DeHart filed the charges.
A thorough investigation has revealed the extent of the theft is much greater than originally uncovered. Libby is charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $440,000 from the organization over a period of seven years. Publicly available documents indicate she is being charged with five counts of wire fraud.
We are diligently pursuing all reasonable avenues to recover the stolen funds. To date, we have recovered $102,000 through an insurance policy and restitution paid by Libby.
Loyal to our mission, Crisis Ministries exists to provide food, shelter and hope to end homelessness and hunger one person at a time, one family at a time. The issue of homelessness did not stop when one individual became determined to commit such a crime. Through the generous support of our donors, we have weathered the loss of funds and continue to serve the homeless men, women and children who have nowhere else to turn.
The Board of Directors and management of Crisis Ministries are thankful for the outpouring of support and understanding we have received. Like many of our supporters, we are struggling to understand how a person can steal from an organization dedicated to serving those living in extreme poverty. The reality is this was a sophisticated manipulation of financial statements masterminded by someone who apparently was willing and determined to steal from the organization.
Crisis Ministries’ programs and services have not been compromised by this unfortunate situation and we remain committed to our critical mission to serve homeless people.
