WASHINGTON — A finance director for a non-profit advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., was arrested Thursday and charged with embezzling more than $320,000 from his employer, according to an indictment unsealed Friday. Jarrett Lewis, 44, allegedly misdirected funds and made unauthorized purchases while serving as Director of Finance between October 2021 and October 2022.
The indictment, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, accuses Lewis of orchestrating at least 35 fraudulent transactions, funneling payments to bank accounts he controlled under the guise of payments to a vendor for “digital” services. Lewis also allegedly used the organization’s credit card to purchase airfare for personal travel, benefiting himself and his friends and family on at least 11 occasions.
Lewis faces nine counts of wire fraud and, if convicted, could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section, following an investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
