Congressional Hunger Center says employee stole $1.1 million, disappeared

Congressional Hunger Center says employee stole $1.1 million, disappeared
A hunger-focused non-profit group founded by House members lost more than $1.1 million due to embezzlement carried out by the organization's former finance director, according to a lawsuit filed in Washington on Wednesday. The Congressional Hunger Center filed suit in U.S. District Court against Mohamed Gurey, claiming the certified public accountant looted the funds as far back as 2010 by forging signatures on the group's checks and by tapping the center's bank account to make large cash withdrawals at a Maryland casino. Late last year, Gurey appeared to be stalling an audit of the center's books while requesting personal leave, the suit alleges. He was due to be fired but stopped showing up for work, the complaint says. "No CHC employee has seen or spoken to Gurey since December 8, 2016," the suit says. The center's executive director, Shannon Maynard, said Wednesday that the FBI has been investigating the matter for nearly a year. "We actually, upon discovery of this incident, immediately reported it to local and federal authorities, as well as to the U.S. Department of Agriculture as our primary funder," Maynard told POLITICO. "There has been action. ...To my understanding, a case is underway with the FBI." An FBI spokeswoman had no immediate comment. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington declined to comment. There's no public indication of criminal charges being filed against Gurey or anyone else in connection with the alleged embezzlement. Efforts to reach Gurey for this article were unsuccessful. The suit says he's an Ethiopian citizen and lived in Arlington, Va., at least until recently. Virginia Board of Accountancy records show Gurey has been a licensed CPA in the state since 2009. Asked if the missing funds could be the result of a mistake or misunderstanding, Maynard said: "We are absolutely confident this was theft and fraud committed at the hands of one of our employees." The Congressional Hunger Center, created in 1993 as an outgrowth of the House Select Committee on Hunger, encourages anti-hunger efforts through programs sending fellows to work on hunger-relief programs in the U.S. and abroad. The group has typically brought in a little less than $3 million in revenue for its programs annually in recent years. Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.) serves as chairman of the organization's board, while Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) is among the board members. "We've taken every step to try to recover the stolen funds but also to weather this storm," Maynard said. "We've been fortunate to be able to maintain our operation through this."

November 9, 2017 at 08:44AM