Attorney General's office investigating 'embezzlement' at Eaton County shelter

CHARLOTTE — Eight months after a nonprofit domestic violence and homeless outreach shelter reported money missing from its accounts, the state Attorney General's office has confirmed it is investigating the incident.

Staff at the Charlotte-based SIREN/Eaton Shelter notified Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office about the missing funds in May 2023 after staff discovered money was missing during their review of financial records.

SIREN officials have not disclosed how much money was missing but went public last year with an online fundraising effort with a goal of $300,000. The fundraiser has garnered just over $2,800, although an allocation from the most recent state budget covered the goal.

Danny Wimmer, press secretary for Nessel's office, said the investigation into what the shelter describes as an embezzlement is "ongoing."

"I cannot offer additional comment at this time, but no charges have yet been issued," he said in an email.

It's not clear how long Nessel's office has been investigating. In June, Nessel spokeswoman Kim Bush declined to confirm if the office was investigating.

A forensic audit into the missing funds at SIREN/Eaton Shelter is still in progress, said Tracie Socey, the outreach coordinator for the Charlotte-based nonprofit. It has been underway since June.

It is still unclear how much money is missing, Socey said, but "It was determined by our insurance company that there was, in fact, an embezzlement."

A message left last week for Kelly Morton, president of SIREN's Board of Directors and an Eaton County district court judge, wasn't returned.

In 2022, SIREN, which now has five employees, sheltered nearly 200 families.

Additional donations from supporters and $500,000 allocated to the shelter in the most recent state budget last fall have helped its staff maintain services, Socey said. The non-profit hasn't laid off any staff but some open staff positions haven't been filled, she said, and "non-essential expenses" have been cut from the non-profit's budget.

"We're able to kind of keep afloat and move on from there," she said.

The nonprofit has "put additional financial controls in place," Socey said. They include requiring additional signatures on paperwork documenting the receipt of donations, she said.

The audit could take several more months to complete, she said.

Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ .

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This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Attorney General's office probes 'embezzlement' at Eaton County shelter