Crime & Safety
Ex-Head of Indian Nonprofit Embezzled IB Bank, Feds Say
David Hedley withdrew $20,000 in cash from the IHRC bank account at the North Island Credit Union in Imperial Beach, charges say. On that same day, Hedley purchased $20,000 worth of chips, tokens, or gaming instruments at the Pala Casino, the FBI said.
FBI agents arrested former Executive Director of Indian Human Resources Center David Hedley Thursday in Riverside, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy announced Friday.
Hedley was arraigned on eight counts of theft for allegedly stealing approximately $140,000 from the nonprofit.
“At the most basic level, this case is about one individual’s greed and the abuse of trust. The FBI will hold those accountable who line their own pockets at the expense of the American taxpayer," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Daphne Hearn.
Hedley allegedly withdrew some of the stolen money from North Island Credit Union branches in La Mesa and Imperial Beach.
Last October Hedley allegedly withdrew $15,000 in cash from the IHRC bank account at the North Island Credit Union in La Mesa and spent it at Viejas Casino.
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"Similarly, on the Oct. 12, 2012, Hedley improperly withdrew $20,000 in cash from IHRC’s bank account at the NICU branch in Imperial Beach, California, and purchased over $20,000 in chips, tokens, or gaming instruments the same day from Pala Casino," the FBI said in a statement Friday.
Hedley was head of the nonprofit in the latter half of 2012, the FBI said.
Like The Bridge in Imperial Beach, IHRC receives federal funding to find Native Americans jobs and provide job training.
IHRC has received more than $500,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Labor over the past two years, according to the FBI.
The California Department of Justice, Bureau of Gambling Control also took part in the investigation.
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