Earlier this week, Kia Player pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding the City of Richmond out of nearly $200,000 after prosecutors said she embezzled money designated for the operations of an inclement weather shelter that served homeless women and children in 2022-2023.

According to a statement of facts filed in court, Player submitted fake invoices to the city for alleged shelter services such as catering, laundry, pest control, cleaning, and contractor work that either never happened or were inflated.

Court records showed she additionally funneled $68,000 into her own bank accounts and used those fraudulent proceeds to buy flights, a luxury Caribbean ferry ride, and to shop at several stores.

The scheme has raised questions about how Player's organization was awarded taxpayer

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