A homeless shelter director in Richmond will spend three years in prison for stealing nearly $200,000 for personal expenses from reimbursements intended for the operation of the inclement weather shelter.
Kia A. Player, 41, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to wire fraud in November. She faced up to 20 years in prison.
Player operated an inflated invoice scheme that resulted in $199,163 in actual losses to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the City of Richmond.
According to court documents, Player spent the fraud proceeds on personal expenses, including on a tattoo, airline tickets, a luxury Caribbean ferry ride in Miami Beach, furniture and shopping at an antique store.
Player won a grant to operate the shelter, RVA Sister’s Keeper, for women and children in the Richmond metropolitan area.
From August 2022 through April 2023, Player fabricated and falsified at least 35 separate invoices. Player submitted these fraudulent and inflated invoices for reimbursement to the City of Richmond causing the city to improperly issue funds to her.
ICYMI
Player submitted at least 21 separate inflated invoices claiming RVA Sister’s Keeper made payments to an entity called VCM Catering Services to provide breakfast and dinner at the homeless shelter. VCM Catering Services was a fictitious business; Player had hired a family member to provide breakfast and dinner for the homeless residents. The family member was a cafeteria manager at a Richmond public school and provided the homeless residents with food taken from the school.
Player also fabricated an invoice showing the shelter paid for repairs to its roof and submitted the invoice to the City of Richmond and pocketed the funds. The roof had several leaks that were not fixed. Player also fabricated invoices for wash and fold laundry services and bed bug treatments.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Washington and the HUD Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
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Crystal Graham
