WASHINGTON – Jeanine Henderson Arnett, 43, the former Executive Director of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and her husband, Diallo Arnett, 47, pled guilty on April 20, 2021 and April 28, 2021, respectively, to a charge stemming from her embezzlement of over $150,000, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.
Jeanine Henderson Arnett and Diallo Arnett, of the Commonwealth of Virginia, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to Bank Fraud. The Honorable Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for July 29, 2021. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to thirty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense.
“While Delta Sigma Theta and its members were committed to a mission of public service, the defendants were committed to a mission of personal benefit, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars to use for their own pleasure” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips. “The defendants – and others who steal from non-profit organizations to enrich themselves – will be caught, prosecuted, and punished for the damage they cause.”
“The Arnetts pleaded guilty to stealing money from this historic women’s organization and used the funds for their own benefit,” said James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division. “Their selfish actions not only betrayed the dedicated members, but also dishonored the core mission and values of the sorority.”
According to the statements of offense submitted to the Court, Jeanine Henderson Arnett was employed as the Executive Director of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a 501(c)(7) organization located in the District of Columbia. Jeanine Henderson Arnett and Diallo Arnett admitted that, between approximately October 3, 2017 and September 15, 2019, she misappropriated more than $150,000 from Delta Sigma Thetas’s bank accounts through, among other things, ACH money transfers and credit card transactions. This included unauthorized and fraudulent charges for personal items and expenses at, among other places, Amazon, Avis Rent a Car, Century Twenty-One, Coach, GEICO, and T-Mobile. In addition, the Arnetts used the Square Cash App to make 9 transactions to transfer $14,162.50 to their account.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips acknowledged the work of Paralegal Angeline Thekkumthala of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rothstein and David Kent, who investigated and prosecuted this matter. Making sure that victims of crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect.