Ex-nonprofit CEO accused of embezzlement

A Merrick woman is accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the nonprofit she was hired to run. Wafa Abboud, the former CEO of Human First, has been indicted on tax fraud and embezzlement

News 12 Staff

Jul 19, 2016, 1:46 AM

Updated 2,838 days ago

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Ex-nonprofit CEO accused of embezzlement
A Merrick woman is accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the nonprofit she was hired to run.
Wafa Abboud, the former CEO of Human First, has been indicted on tax fraud and embezzlement charges.
Human First offers support for people who are developmentally disabled.
Authorities say some of the donations to the organization may have been used to pay for things like cosmetic surgery, vacations and a million-dollar home.
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Abboud concocted an elaborate plan to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the nonprofit organization.
In a statement, Schneiderman said, "The crimes alleged in these indictments are troubling, particularly because they involve funds intended to benefit the developmentally disabled community."
Human First COO Marcelle Bailey was also charged with tax fraud and embezzlement. Schneiderman says Bailey, of Garden City, took the money Abboud withdrew from the nonprofit and deposited it into multiple bank accounts over a period of five years.
Human First officials issued a statement saying, "Fortunately there has been no adverse impact on our service recipients or on the programs and services we provide."


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