Former boxer accused ofripping off his nonprofit
The executive director of a nonprofit has been accused of taking more than $500,000 in District of Columbia grants for at-risk youth and spending it on gambling and vacations.
Keely E. Thompson Jr., a well-known D.C. boxer who fought professionally as a lightweight in the late 1980s and early ’90s, was arrested Thursday by agents from the FBI and D.C. Inspector General’s Office. He is accused of taking about $506,000 in public money intended for Keely’s District Boxing and Youth Center.
According to authorities, the nonprofit organization has received more than $1.4 million in D.C. government funding since 2004, which was to be used to provide youth development and physical fitness programs to at-risk children.
In charging documents, the government accused Keely of using the organization’s debit card to obtain more than $150,000 cash while on several cruises or at Bally’s casino in Atlantic City. In addition to a yearly salary that grew from $46,000 in 2004 to $81,000 in 2009, the affidavit says, Keely received 127 checks, totaling $355,210. The organization’s accounting records did not identify a legitimate purpose for these additional payments, and when asked by financial professionals, Keely failed to provide supporting documentation, the affidavit states.
Police investigate fatal crash
A 20-year-old Falls Church woman has died from injuries she suffered after she allowed an unlicensed teen to drive her vehicle. Around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the teen accelerated and lost control of the car just north of Patuxent Way, striking another vehicle. Natalie Miranda died the next day.
— Scott McCabe
