The former chief executive officer of a San Francisco homelessness nonprofit has been charged with nine felony counts amid allegations of misappropriating more than $1 million in public funds.
The case involves Gwendolyn Westbrook, 71, who led the United Council of Human Services for nearly two decades before her dismissal in 2023. The organization managed close to $28 million in contracts with the City and County of San Francisco until a city review found it in violation of its agreements. In early 2023, San Francisco stopped awarding new funding to the nonprofit and redirected millions of dollars in planned contracts to other organizations.
According to a statement from the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, “Ms. Westbrook is accused of unlawfully misappropriating public money and grant funds on behalf of UCHS, while exercising near-exclusive financial control over the organization.”
The charges against Westbrook include one count of misappropriation of public funds, three counts of grand theft, one count of presenting a false invoice, and four counts of filing false tax returns.
More information about this case can be found at California City News.
