Director of drug prevention nonprofit pocketed funds to buy car, renovate home, feds say
.jpg "The executive director of a drug prevention nonprofit in Tennessee was sentenced to 15 months in prison for embezzling more than $200,000 in grants, feds say.")
A leader of a Tennessee substance abuse prevention nonprofit was sentenced to 15 months in prison Friday, Aug. 19, after he was accused of stealing about $211,000 from the organization over several years, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Patrick Martin helped establish the Community Prevention Coalition of Jackson County in Gainesboro, Tennessee, in 2002, according to court documents, with a mission to “bring people and organizations together to prevent and reduce alcohol abuse and substance use among youth in Jackson County.”
Martin, 51, was the executive director beginning in 2008, according to court documents, leaving him responsible for the nonprofit’s “day-to-day fiscal operation” for nearly 10 years.
Investigators say that beginning in 2014, Martin began using grant money from the Department of Health & Human Services Drug-Free Communities Support Program to issue himself checks purportedly for reimbursements and paychecks, which he was not owed.
He used over $211,000 on personal expenses, which allegedly included buying a new car, paying bills, renovating his home and financially supporting someone outside his family, feds say.
Martin’s lawyers did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment, and the coalition’s contact information was not readily available.
Martin also is accused of using tax money withheld from employees’ paychecks for personal costs and failing to pay the IRS. He also did not report the income from the embezzlement for two years, feds say.
Martin was first charged in May 2019, according to the news release, and pleaded guilty in August 2021 to wire fraud, failure to pay over employment taxes and filing a false income tax return.
Martin was ordered to forfeit $211,795.84, reimburse $375,000 to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and pay $132,373.76 to the IRS.
This story was originally published August 24, 2022 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Director of drug prevention nonprofit pocketed funds to buy car, renovate home, feds say."
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