Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
A Cleveland woman has been sentenced for her involvement in a scheme to defraud local nonprofits, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
Sinera Unique Jones, also known as Sinera McCoy, 46, received three years of probation and two months of home detention from U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko. She pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud by working with a public official to deceive several community organizations. Jones was also ordered to pay $143,598.47 in restitution.
Court documents state that between December 2018 and June 2021, Jones conspired with Basheer Jones, former Cleveland city councilman for Ward 7 and her romantic partner at the time, to obtain funds from nonprofits under false pretenses. The funds were solicited for projects that were supposed to support redevelopment efforts in Ward 7 but were instead diverted into accounts controlled by Sinera Jones.
The investigation found that the pair took measures to hide their personal relationship while persuading nonprofits to enter into financial arrangements benefiting themselves. In one instance, a nonprofit hired Sinera Jones as a consultant based on Basheer Jones’s recommendation; she submitted invoices despite performing little work and was paid through her consulting business without disclosing her connection to the councilman.
In another case, Basheer Jones told a nonprofit he was helping acquire a distressed property from its original owner. He arranged for Sinera Jones to buy the property for $1 with an agreement she would pay a $40,500 city demolition bill. She placed the property under a business entity's name and quickly resold it to the nonprofit for $45,000 without paying or revealing the demolition bill or her relationship with Basheer Jones.
The fraudulent activities resulted in more than $140,000 being taken from various nonprofits.
Basheer Jones was sentenced on April 1, 2025, receiving 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges related to wire fraud and honest services fraud. He will serve three years of supervised release and must pay restitution equal to that imposed on Sinera Jones.
The FBI Cleveland Division led the investigation alongside the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and IRS – Criminal Investigation units.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Barnhill and Elliot Morrison prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
For those wishing to report fraud or submit complaints about similar crimes, information is available at https://www.justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint.
