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undefined | Former Chicago-area nonprofit leader sentenced to year in prison for embezzling $1.9 million by Sun-Times Wire

A former Chicago‑area nonprofit executive, Barbara Harris, was sentenced to one year in federal prison on March 20 after pleading guilty to wire fraud for her role in siphoning roughly $1.9 million in government grants meant for after‑school programs and poverty‑relief initiatives. Harris, who had served as the executive director of the South Holland‑based Center for Community Academic Success Partnerships, was found to have conspired with fellow executive Tony Bell to submit falsified grant applications between 2012 and 2017, inflating projected annual expenses under the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. The scheme also involved creating fictitious subcontractors and opening bogus bank accounts, which allowed the pair to cash checks and purchase money orders that were later used to pay personal debts, including $437,000 toward Bell’s credit‑card balances and $130,000 to a fraudulent subcontractor account.

Court documents show that Harris and Bell directed the diverted funds to their own accounts, effectively stealing $1.8 million intended for after‑school enrichment activities. In addition to the main embezzlement scheme, Harris admitted to a separate fraud between 2021 and 2023 while serving as co‑executive director of South Suburban Community Services, where she helped misappropriate $99,000 from an AmeriCorps VISTA grant designed to support anti‑poverty efforts. This secondary misconduct further demonstrated a pattern of exploiting public‑funded programs for personal gain.

Tony Bell, who also pleaded guilty to wire fraud, is slated for sentencing in August. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois highlighted the case as a stark reminder of the importance of rigorous oversight of government‑grant programs, especially those aimed at vulnerable communities and educational enrichment. Harris’s sentencing underscores the federal government’s commitment to pursuing accountability when public resources are misused.

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Colorado officials have announced they will not transfer Tina Peters, a former Mesa County clerk convicted of election security violations and serving a nine-year sentence, to federal custody despite a request from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The department emphasized that such transfers are initiated by the state, not outside agencies. Peters has been embraced by election conspiracy advocates for her role in promoting false claims about the 2020 election. The reasons behind the federal request remain undisclosed, with the department citing privacy concerns. Will this refusal influence future federal-state custody negotiations, especially for politically charged cases? More here: https://apnews.com/article/colorado-clerk-election-conspiracy-0a2cb663691cacae63ba8cd98d692bcf #TinaPeters #Custody #ElectionFraud #Colorado #FederalPrison #Politics #electionintegrity

Colorado says it doesn't plan to transfer former elections clerk Tina Peters to federal custody

Colorado doesn’t plan to transfer former county clerk Tina Peters to federal custody following a request from the Trump Administration to move her out of a state prison. The Colorado Department of Corrections said Wednesday the department is not seeking a transfer of Peters. She was convicted last year of orchestrating a scheme to breach voting machine data driven by false claims of fraud in the 2020 election. The Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to comment. Peters’ release has become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement.

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