Commander stole $35,000 from veterans’ charity and spent it on himself, GA police say
The post commander of a veterans’ nonprofit is accused of stealing more than $35,000 from the charity’s bank account and depositing it in his own account, Georgia investigators said.
Richard Allen Wright, who led the Georgia Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Barnesville, was arrested Nov. 30 and charged with theft by taking, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The organization has chapters across the U.S. aimed at fostering “camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts,” the VFW’s website says.
During his time as commander of the VFW Barnesville post, GBI investigators said Wright, 44, made multiple transfers from the charity’s bank account to his personal account from Aug. 21, 2020, to April 25, 2022.
In all, he stole more than $35,000, “which he used for his personal gain,” according to the GBI. Investigators didn’t give specifics on how the money was spent.
McClatchy News reached out to the GBI for more information Dec. 1 and was awaiting a response.
Wright was taken to the Lamar County Jail, where he remained in custody without bond as of Dec. 1, online records show.
Barnesville is about 60 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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