By writer to www.marketwatch.com
The previous govt director of a charity run by Delta Sigma Theta, a century-old sorority whose notable members have included Roberta Flack and Betty Shabazz, has been sentenced to 16 months in jail for embezzling almost 1 / 4 million {dollars} from the group.
Jeanine Henderson Arnett, 44, and her husband Diallo Arnett, 47, pleaded responsible earlier this yr to utilizing the charity’s bank cards to pay for rental automobiles, garments buying sprees and for purchases on Amazon.com. The pair additionally have been accused of wiring the charity’s cash on to their very own checking account.
In all, the couple misappropriated $228,000 from 2017 till 2019, prosecutors mentioned. Jeanine Arnett, who had initially joined Delta Sigma Theta as an undergraduate at Syracuse College, was fired when the sorority found the lacking cash.
Diallo Arnett was sentenced to 12 months and sooner or later in jail. The couple was additionally ordered to forfeit $228,000 in property plus pay one other $228,000 in restitution.
Jeanine Arnett’s legal professional, Kevin McCants, mentioned his consumer was remorseful and “dedicated to creating full restitution.”
“She nonetheless has a substantial amount of respect for Delta Sigma Theta,” he mentioned.
An legal professional for Diallo Arnett didn’t instantly return a name for remark.
A college establishment
The sorority, which was based in 1913 at Howard College, has lengthy been a highly-regarded establishment in Black college life. The sorority has greater than 1,000 collegiate and alumni chapters and has counted luminaries from former U.S. Legal professional Normal Loretta Lynch to soul legend Aretha Franklin as members.
The charity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., which is predicated in Washington, D.C., focuses on offering meals support for the hungry and assist for victims of home violence, in addition to offering grants and different assist to college students.
Cellphone calls to the sorority went unanswered Wednesday because the group’s workplace had closed early for Thanksgiving.
In courtroom filings, the Arnetts mentioned they’d struggled financially since 2014 when Diallo Arnett was recognized with extreme kidney illness and was unable to proceed working. He acquired a kidney transplant final yr.
Jeanine Arnett mentioned her husband started utilizing her firm bank cards to cowl prices and that they’d supposed to pay the cash again, however the debt quickly spiraled out of hand.
— to www.marketwatch.com
