Charity On The Rebound

by Gary Snyder

The charity that lost more than $4.8 million in donations over the past two decades at the hands of its former president is rebounding well a year after the theft was uncovered.

The United Mid-Coast Charities Board of Directors decided Aug. 19 at its annual meeting to distribute more than $535,000 to area nonprofit organizations. The total distribution is 60 percent more than what UMCC distributed in 2014, Board President Steve Crane said in a news release issued Tuesday.

“With all that United Mid-Coast Charities has gone through in the past year, we’ve been blessed with an overwhelming response from donors in our communities,” Crane said. “This has allowed us to give more in 2015 than we originally thought possible.”

The former board president, Russell Brace, 81, of Rockport, faces up to 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty May 29 to one count of mail fraud affecting a financial institution and two counts of tax fraud and making false statements. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9 in U.S. District Court in Portland. (source)

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