The state has filed a complaint against the southern California food bank alleging that its leaders have diverted more than $ 11 million in public funds to get rich and their families over a decade.
The long -lasting non -profit organization, almost 50 years old, closed most of the operations in September after the state has interrupted all funds and agents of the California road patrol made a descent into the building in the context of an investigation into the use by the non -profit government.
For years, the food bank has worked as a grocery and meal distribution center serving hundreds of long-term pantry in Long Beach and South Angeles thanks to millions of dollars in funding from the social services department.
But the state trial, deposited on March 25, alleges that the members of the board of directors used money during trips to Las Vegas, a renovation at home, mobile phones, smart watches, a Christmas setting, a truck, for profit and more. The trial was reported for the first time by the Daily Journal.
“For at least the last decade, officers, administrators and sellers of the food bank have worked together to divert millions of dollars from state and federal funds from these most vulnerable communities, in their own pockets,” said the complaint.
The trial appoints ten current or former members of the board of directors and two of their family members.
Brian Weaver, the director general of the food bank, told Times on Monday in an interview that he had been dismayed to be appointed in the trial, saying that he has been working to eliminate fraud in the organization since his care as director general of last spring.
He said that he had hired a medical-legal accounting office to investigate internal corruption after discovering millions of dollars in questionable payments.
“Almost all the evidence they have (state lawyers) are based on the forensic investigation that we have initiated,” he said, referring to the trial.
The trial alleys that the former treasurer of the board of directors Giuseppe Briguglio and his relative Abele Briguglio channeled more than $ 6.28 million in state financing in contracts with personal companies which provided “unusable or unusable goods or services” to the food bank.
Another former member of the board of directors, Dion Rambo, is accused by the State of concluding an agreement for his business, Southwest Group, in order to provide advertising services to non -profit organization. The company received $ 279,749 from the food bank but did not provide contractual services, according to the trial.
“On information and belief, the defendant Rambo has kept these funds for personal use,” according to the trial.
Former CEO Jeanne Cooper and her husband, Lamarr Ramsey, are accused of having had to the social services more than $ 250,000. The state alleys that it bought mobile phones, smart watches, home renovations, furniture, home lawn services, gas cards, gift cards and an artificial Christmas tree with food bank.
Cooper, Rambo, Ramsey and the Briguglios did not immediately respond to the request for comments from the Times.
Cooper denied having used non -profit funds for personal use in a October declaration in NBC4. At the time, she said to the station that she had alerted state officials to the abuse of funds in progress.
Cooper resigned as CEO in March 2024 and was replaced by Weaver.
The state trial relies that Weaver used government funds to buy a personal Tesla and write a cashier’s check of $ 20,000.
Weaver said Tesla was a work vehicle that had been recorded on her behalf because it was cheaper to have it on her personal insurance after a former employee crushed the previous work car. He said the check was used to pay for the service completed on a corporate truck after the State frozen all of the non -profit organization.
Other people named in the complaint is the community activist “Sweet” Alice Harris, who founded the parents of Watts, a non -profit organization dedicated to supporting young people and disadvantaged families.
The trial alleys that Harris used his position on the board of directors of the food bank to channel more than $ 173,000 in funding to Watts parents.
She is also accused of having used her role to hire her granddaughter as an employee employee and appoint her son-in-law to the board of directors. She did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
Weaver deplores that the operations of the food bank were interrupted following the investigation. The non-profit organization has delivered 40 million to 60 million pounds of food per year to 275 pantry which serve more than 850,000 people of food insecurity, according to its website.
“Many people are hungry,” he said. “Many people suffer.”
California Daily Newspapers
