$600,000 meant for veterans taken by woman who ran charity

Ex-director of DC-based military charity found guilty of fraud, tax evasion

WTOP
Mike Murillo
November 29, 2018

Driscoll resigned in July 2016 after 12 years at the military charity after media reports alleging mishandling of funds. In a tax filing, the foundation reported it had "become aware of suspected misappropriations" by Driscoll totaling about $600,000 from 2006 to 2014.

FILE — Armed Forces Foundation president Patricia Driscoll is shown during an interview at the Venetian hotel-casino Sunday, May 25, 2008, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/ Ronda Churchill)

WASHINGTON — The former executive director of the now-defunct Armed Forces Foundation has been convicted Thursday by a jury of stealing from the charity that helped military veterans and their families.

Patricia Driscoll, 40, of Ellicott City, Maryland, was the executive director of the D.C.-based charity until 2015. During her 12-year tenure, federal prosecutors claimed she used money donated to the organization for herself and to pay expenses for her for-profit business.

In federal forms for the nonprofit, she is accused of falsely categorizing and having others falsely categorize money she spent on herself as money used to benefit veterans, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for D.C. She was also accused of failing to report benefits she received from fundraising, which included commissions.

While allegedly cooking the books, prosecutors said Driscoll also sent fraudulent federal forms to members of the organization’s boards and the Internal Revenue Service in an attempt to cover up her crimes.

A jury found Driscoll guilty on two counts of wire fraud and tax evasion, as well as one count of first-degree fraud. She could face more than 30 years in prison when sentenced.
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