Executive Director of Fairfield Nonprofit Pleads Guilty to Embezzling DOJ Funds Intended for Domestic Violence Victims and Altering Records to Thwart a Federal Investigation

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Claudia Humphrey, 62, of American Canyon, pleaded guilty today to theft of public money and falsifying records in a federal investigation, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Humphrey was the executive director of LIFT3 Support Group Inc., a non-profit organization in Fairfield that offered transitional shelter assistance and other services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence, primarily serving residents in Solano County. Humphrey, through LIFT3, sought and received federal grants from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in 2011 and 2012. Humphrey caused to be transferred over $270,000 in grant money that was to be used only for assisting victims of domestic violence into her own bank accounts, and she used over $50,000 of the funds on personal expenses such as travel, shopping, and payments to her family members, among other things.

According to court documents, between October 2014 and August 2015, in an effort to conceal her embezzlement of federal funds, Humphrey obstructed the efforts of the OVW audit of LIFT3. Humphrey falsified purchase documents showing that computers were purchased, and she altered and falsified expense ledgers and time sheets.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles is prosecuting the case.

Humphrey is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on January 3, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. Humphrey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for theft of public money, and 20 years in prison for falsifying a record in a federal investigation. Additionally, Humphrey faces a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross loss or gain. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.