Former Oakland Nonprofit Executive Allegedly Embezzled Cash, Including $50K Donation From Stephen Curry

Howard Solomon, 38, was charged with one count of mail fraud and four counts of tax evasion.

An Oakland man who once worked for a nonprofit has been arrested and charged with siphoning funds from the organization, including a $50,000 donation from Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.

According to the Department of Justice, Howard Solomon, 38, was charged with one count of mail fraud and four counts of tax evasion for an alleged scheme to defraud the East Oakland Boxing Association.

Solomon, organization’s executive director from 2017 until April 2021, is accused of embezzling money and property from the nonprofit to pay for a vacation property rental, a Ford Explorer, and personal items from Amazon.

According to the paperwork filed on Feb. 26, Solomon was responsible for managing daily operations, soliciting contributions and fundraising, managing program and staff, overseeing budget and finances, and community outreach. In his role, he had access to the East Oakland Boxing Association’s bank accounts and debit cards linked to those accounts.

In December 2019, Curry and his wife, Ayesha, appeared on Ellen for “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways.” The couple donated gifts and a $50,000 check to the organization. Prosecutors allege that Solomon deposited that check into a personal account.

The suspect appeared in an Oakland federal district court March 3.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California, also said that Solomon owes federal income tax due to filing false and fraudulent income tax returns for tax years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. He agreed to waive indictment by a grand jury and is scheduled to return to court April 9 for a status hearing before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

If Solomon is convicted of the charges, he faces a prison sentence of 20 years as well as a fine of $250,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transactions for the count of mail fraud. He also faces five years in prison and a fine of $100,000 for each count of tax evasion.