The former head of a nonprofit designed to serve homeless veterans has been charged with stealing grant money.
Clifford Wayne Robertson, 59, of Brenham, Texas, is now facing federal charges for allegedly embezzling funds while serving as CEO and executive director of The Warrior’s Refuge, a Texas-based veterans’ service organization.
The shelter had reportedly received over $1.8 million in grant funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Labor (DOL) during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Federal prosecutors claim that between February and April 2020, Robertson submitted several different applications for federal assistance on behalf of Castle Cares Community Ministry Inc., doing business under the name of The Warrior’s Refuge. The organization was awarded approximately $1.3 million from the VA and an additional $500,000 from the DOL to assist homeless veterans facing some of life’s most significant challenges.
However, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Robertson stole a large portion of those funds and spent them on his personal expenses. Additionally, he also claimed payments for counseling services he never provided to veterans.
Robertson is scheduled to make his first court appearance before Judge Richard W. Bennett in Houston on July 28. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh is now handling the case, following a joint investigation by the VA Inspector General’s Office, the Department of Labor’s Inspector General, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The Warrior’s Refuge, which had initially advertised itself as a lifeline for struggling veterans during the pandemic, has not yet released a statement on Robertson’s charges as of press time.