Former Charity Head Indicted for Theft, Money Laundering (Gale)

NEWS RELEASE –

October 11, 2018

Contact: Ken Lane, 720-913-9025

FORMER CHARITY LEADER INDICTED FOR THEFT, MONEY LAUNDERING, OTHER CHARGES

A Denver Grand Jury has indicted a man in connection with the theft of almost $50,000 from a charity.

Franklin Gale (dob: 08-15-1963) is charged with one count of money laundering (F3), one count of theft (F4), one count of attempt to influence a public servant (F4), one count of offering a false instrument for recording (F5), one count of forgery (F5), and one count of aggravated motor vehicle theft (F6).  The indictment was handed down on October 3, 2018, and Gale turned himself in to Longmont police later that day.

In approximately May 2015 Gale was selected as the President of the Board of Directors for Ecumenical Refugee And Immigration Services (ERIS) to facilitate and assist with the closing of ERIS in the spring and summer of 2015.  At the time, ERIS was a Colorado-registered non-profit corporation and all board of director members were uncompensated.

In 2016 and 2017, ERIS received approximately $50,000 in restitution payments from an employment embezzlement case in Adams, County.  Per the bylaws of ERIS, that money and/or any assets of ERIS were to be used to pay outstanding bills of ERIS, and in the event all bills were paid any remaining funds and/or assets would be given to another non-profit. Gale received the restitution payments due to ERIS and deposited those restitution checks into the ERIS bank account.

The indictment alleges that before and after receipt of the restitution funds, between November 2015 and April 2017, Gale wrote $48,668 in checks to himself from the ERIS account and deposited them into an account he established for his minor son.  Gale would then make bank account cash withdrawals, ATM withdrawals, and/or transfer the funds from his son’s account to other accounts under his control, thus laundering the money through other accounts and depriving ERIS of its money, ultimately resulting in the theft of approximately $50,000.

Gale is also accused of forging the name and signature of the former board director on a motor vehicle title for a truck owned by ERIS and then getting a new motor vehicle title in his name.  These activities are the basis for the charges of automobile theft, forgery, offering a false instrument, and attempt to influence a public servant.

The defendant’s first court appearance is October 15 at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 4G (appearance on bond).

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