A former executive director and CEO of a veterans homeless shelter in Brenham, Texas, has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for misusing federal grant funds. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Clifford Wayne Robertson, 59, pleaded guilty on September 5 to charges related to the misappropriation of federal grants awarded to Castle Cares Community Ministry Inc., which operated as The Warrior’s Refuge. Senior U.S. District Judge David Hittner handed down the sentence, which includes four years of supervised release following his prison term.
In sentencing Robertson, the court noted his criminal history, including previous convictions for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, between February and April 2020, Robertson submitted several applications for federal assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Labor (DOL) on behalf of The Warrior’s Refuge. As a result, the organization received about $1.3 million from the VA and $500,000 from the DOL.
Robertson admitted that he knowingly used grant funds for personal expenses not allowed under grant guidelines. He also acknowledged using funds for counseling services that were never provided to veterans, resulting in a loss totaling $180,216.96.
Robertson has been allowed to remain free on bond until he voluntarily surrenders to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at a later date.
The investigation was conducted by the VA-Office of Inspector General (OIG), DOL-OIG and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas is part of the U.S. Department of Justice and serves under the Attorney General. This office prosecutes federal crimes and handles civil cases on behalf of the government within its jurisdiction covering 43 counties in Texas with offices located in Houston and other cities such as Galveston and Corpus Christi (source). It partners with various law enforcement agencies at all levels (source) and employs more than 200 attorneys serving over nine million residents (source).
