Ex-SF Homeless Nonprofit CEO, Accused Of Stealing $1.2M In Public Funds, Allegedly Had ‘Trunk Full of High-Priced Jewelry’

The year prior to the suit, UCHS faced an audit after prosecutors alleged Westbrook misappropriated over $1.2 million between 2019 and 2023 and stole $91,000 from the organization.

The former CEO of a San Francisco nonprofit working with the homeless community is accused of misappropriating $1.2 million in public funds and thousands of dollars from the organization for her personal gain, The San Francisco Standard reports.

Former CEO of the United Council of Human Services (UCHS), Gwendolyn Westbrook, is facing nine felony charges including grand theft and filing four years of fraudulent tax returns after being booked into county jail on Feb. 20. Her downfall came after ex-employee Noel Robinson filed a lawsuit against Westbrook in February 2023 accusing her of misusing funds and “living a lifestyle inconsistent with her reported salary,” listed as $155,000 a year in 2015.

Robinson claimed Westbrook atold staff about purchasing and paying off high-end vehicles for personal usage, including a Tesla for herself, a Jeep Renegade for a close family friend, two vehicles for cousins, and an Infiniti SUV for a niece. The suit also alleges she drove around with “a trunk full of high-priced jewelry” in addition to using organizational funds to pay for family members’ weddings and in vitro fertilization procedures for a relative.

The year prior to the suit, UCHS faced an audit after prosecutors alleged Westbrook misappropriated over $1.2 million between 2019 and 2023 and stole $91,000 from the San Francisco-based nonprofit. In a letter to the FBI and The District Attorney’s office, City Attorney David Chiu requested a criminal investigation into UCHS.

“Gwendolyn Westbrook enriched herself and misappropriated millions of dollars in public funding meant to benefit the community,” Chiu said. “We are grateful the district attorney accepted our referral, and the White Collar Crime Division conducted a thorough investigation leading to these charges.”

The audit by the city controller’s office revealed troubling issues throughout the nonprofit outside of mishandled funds. According to the New York Post, UCHS managed RV sites and shelters for homeless people were billed as “supportive” to help people get back on their feet.

The organization was also accused of improper placement of tenants in supportive housing, including a man found dead, identified as Westbrook’s nephew, Darrin Douglas, in an RV outside of a temporary city trailer park for unhoused people. When Robinson’s lawsuit claimed that the nephew’s presence was jeopardizing other residents’ and staff’s safety, Westbrook intervened on her nephew’s behalf.

Concerns over Westbrook’s leadership date back to 2017. A former controller once made 28 improvement recommendations toward internal policies and financial oversight after the city withdrew contracts for the organization in 2009 amid issues with the organization’s bookkeeping.