The Typical Light Sentence For Charity Theft

by Gary Snyder

She spent 23 years as a bookkeeper at the charity. Since the authorities could only reconstruct three years of records.  That apparently was sufficient time, however, to steal 181 times totaling $300,000. She forged the executive’s signature numerous times.

Judy Gordon took the money from the Trauma Intervention Program National, Inc. or TIPS. She used the money to pay off her 50 credit cards.

She took a plea deal and was sentenced to only one year in jail. She must serve three years on probation and ordered to pay $300,000 restitution. Since her only income is $1375 per month in Social Security the likelihood of full restitution is remote.  

Quite a deal.

None of the money was recovered.

The executive said that he thought that Gordon loved us as well as the organization. Unfortunately that was not true.

Nonprofit Imperative gathers its information principally from public documents...some of which are directly quoted. Virtually all cited are in some phase of criminal proceedings; some have not been charged, however. Cites in various media: Featured in print, broadcast, and online media outlets, including: Vermont Public Radio, Miami Herald, National Public Radio, Huffington Post, The Sun News, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Wall Street Journal (Profile, News and Photos), FOX2, ABC Spotlight on the News, WWJ Radio, Ethics World, Aspen Philanthropy Newsletter, Harvard Business Review, Current Affairs, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, St. Petersburg Times, B, USA Today Topics, , Newsweek.com, Responsive Philanthropy Magazine, New York Times...and many more • Nonprofits: On the Brink (iUniverse, 2006)