Keane Sims: D.C. Nonprofit Funds Funneled to Personal Accounts

WASHINGTON – A calculated theft ripped through the Friends Community on National Legislation, a D.C.-based nonprofit, as Keane Sims, 28, of Camp Springs, Maryland, received a five-year probation sentence and a $30,000 restitution order. The sentence, handed down today, marks the culmination of a case exposing the dark side of financial trust within the charitable sector.

Sims, formerly an accountant with the organization, admitted guilt in December 2022 to second degree felony fraud in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Judge Neal E. Kravitz didn’t stop at probation; a six-month period of supervised release was also added to the penalty. The details paint a picture of calculated deception, utilizing a position of trust to line personal pockets.

The scheme unfolded in July and August of 2018. Prosecutors presented evidence showing Sims executed 12 fraudulent transfers, siphoning over $40,000 from the Friends Community on National Legislation directly into two personal bank accounts. As the organization’s accounts payable accountant, Sims had the keys to the kingdom – access to both the accounting and cash management systems – and exploited that access without hesitation.

The method was insidious: manipulating vendor payee information to mask the fraudulent transactions. Sims didn’t just take the money; they actively worked to cover their tracks, a blatant attempt to evade detection. This wasn’t a momentary lapse in judgment, but a deliberate and sustained effort to steal from an organization dedicated to public good.

U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Contee III jointly commended the relentless work of the MPD’s Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit in unraveling this complex fraud. The investigation, spearheaded by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Kelly and Benjamin D. Bleiberg, showcased a commitment to holding financial criminals accountable.

While the $30,000 restitution offers a small measure of relief to the defrauded organization, the case serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of nonprofits to internal theft. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and report on efforts to bolster financial security within the D.C. charitable landscape, ensuring those entrusted with public funds are held to the highest standards.