By Debbie Gregory.
A federal jury has convicted Patricia P. Driscoll, the former president of the Armed Forces Foundation, for committing fraud and tax evasion.
The Washington-based charity that assists veterans was defrauded of money meant for the charity that instead was spent on jewelry, shopping and other personal expenses.
Driscoll, 40, of Ellicott City, MD was found guilty of two counts each of wire fraud and tax evasion, and one count of first-degree fraud, the office of U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
She remains free on her own recognizance and is due to be sentenced in March, 2019.
Driscoll resigned in July 2016 after 12 years at the military charity after media reports alleging mishandling of funds. In a tax filing, the foundation reported it had “become aware of suspected misappropriations” by Driscoll totaling about $600,000 from 2006 to 2014.
Driscoll’s defense attorney decried the verdict, insisting his client broke no laws.
“The jury did not get it right — Patricia Driscoll is innocent,” attorney Brian W. Stolarz said in a statement. “We are very disappointed by the verdict and the government’s misconduct in this case. We will appeal. This is not the final chapter to this story.”
The charity was established in 2001 to promote veterans’ emotional and physical health through outdoor activities and small grants to help needy military families pay bills. On its 2015 federal tax filing, it disclosed that it had found evidence that Driscoll had misspent more than $900,000 for personal purposes, starting in 2006.
The foundation reported about $44 million in revenue during those years, according to public tax records.
Driscoll was indicted in September 2016 on eight felony counts but three of those charges were dismissed before the trial concluded, court records show.
Shortly after Driscoll was indicted, the Armed Forces Foundation, announced it was suspending operations and planned to shut down.