Richmond homeless shelter co-founder accused of misusing nearly $1 million in city funds
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The woman who co-founded a Richmond nonprofit meant to help women and children is now facing a federal fraud charge.
Court documents show that the City of Richmond awarded RVA Sisters Keeper, located at 2807 Hull St., about $995,000 in federal housing funds, with the help of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 2022 and 2023.
In December 2022, the Richmond City Council allocated $908,422 for the inclement weather shelter run by RVA Sisters Keeper.
The money was intended to help the South Richmond shelter provide a safe space for women and children during cold weather after it opened in October 2022.
The nonprofit reportedly stopped operating less than a year after it started. Co-founder Kia Player is accused of funneling thousands of dollars from the nonprofit into her personal and business bank accounts.
According to court records, Player is accused of spending some of the money on travel, shopping and even a tattoo. Investigators also said she created at least 35 fake invoices, including payments to a nonexistent company, to reimburse herself.
Richmond's Office of Inspector General was leading the investigation. Player now faces a federal wire fraud charge and is scheduled to appear in court at 130 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
The federal case was filed on Monday, Oct. 20.
