Former charity executive arrested, The former head of a prominent South Bronx charity was arrested Wednesday morning for pilfering hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization, authorities said.
Yolanda Gonzalez, who once headed Nos Quedamos (We Stay) in the South Bronx, was booked Wednesday morning at the 44th Precinct and is due in court later in the day.
Gonzalez' arrest comes after a criminal probe begun in 2011 by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. That investigation led to Gonzalez's suspension without pay by the Nos Quedamos board in February 2011. The News reported she had drained the group's bank accounts and put several relatives on the payroll.
Gonzalez' mother, Yolanda Garcia, founded the nonprofit housing and social services group in 1992. Gonzalez became executive director in 2005 after her mother died.
Since the problems arose in 2011, several board members have been replaced. The organization is now run by executive director Jessica Clemente.
The group calls itself a "community development corporation comprised of residents, homeowners, and business owners from the South Bronx who are committed to promoting, supporting, and advancing ideas of healthy and sustainable growth, both for local communities and the larger society."
Clemente couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday morning.
Gonzalez is the second charity head to be charged by Schneiderman's office in recent weeks. William Rapfogel, the now-former CEO of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty and a close friend of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, was charged in a $5 million, two-decade kickback scheme.
Rapfogel, whose wife is longtime Silver chief of staff Judy Rapfogel, is said to have personally pocketed more than $1 million. He also helped arrange that some of the other money be donated to city and state officials who helped steer funds to the Met Council.
Yolanda Gonzalez, who once headed Nos Quedamos (We Stay) in the South Bronx, was booked Wednesday morning at the 44th Precinct and is due in court later in the day.
Gonzalez' arrest comes after a criminal probe begun in 2011 by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. That investigation led to Gonzalez's suspension without pay by the Nos Quedamos board in February 2011. The News reported she had drained the group's bank accounts and put several relatives on the payroll.
Gonzalez' mother, Yolanda Garcia, founded the nonprofit housing and social services group in 1992. Gonzalez became executive director in 2005 after her mother died.
Since the problems arose in 2011, several board members have been replaced. The organization is now run by executive director Jessica Clemente.
The group calls itself a "community development corporation comprised of residents, homeowners, and business owners from the South Bronx who are committed to promoting, supporting, and advancing ideas of healthy and sustainable growth, both for local communities and the larger society."
Clemente couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday morning.
Gonzalez is the second charity head to be charged by Schneiderman's office in recent weeks. William Rapfogel, the now-former CEO of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty and a close friend of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, was charged in a $5 million, two-decade kickback scheme.
Rapfogel, whose wife is longtime Silver chief of staff Judy Rapfogel, is said to have personally pocketed more than $1 million. He also helped arrange that some of the other money be donated to city and state officials who helped steer funds to the Met Council.
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