TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida officials arrested the former CEO of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence and charged her with one felony count each of organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and official misconduct.
Tiffany Carr, 54, turned herself in at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina on Sept. 25, following a warrant for her arrest on Sept. 20.
Investigators said that Carr and Chief Financial Officer Patricia Duarte, who turned herself in on Sept. 20, conducted a scheme to fraudulently award themselves personal time off (PTO) using funds provided through grants intended to help fund domestic violence shelters across Florida.
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The Florida Department of Law Enforcement began its investigation in 2021 after inspectors received information from the Florida Office of the Chief Inspector General, the Department of Children and Families, and the Florida House Public Integrity and Ethics Committee.
The investigation showed that Carr and Duarte submitted false quarterly reports, billed the state for vacant positions, and charged for services never provided, according to a news release.
The ill-gotten funds were used for excessive bonuses and leave payouts to Carr and Duarte in the amounts of $3.4 million to Carr and $291,000 for Duarte.
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“These officials were entrusted to run an organization to assist those seeking a safe haven from abuse. Instead of ensuring state funds went to help those in need, they schemed together to steal more than $3.7 million for grossly inflated salaries and vacations,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody. “We previously took civil action to rid the organization’s bad management, and now we are filing criminal charges against these former officials.”
Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will prosecute this case.
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FCADV was a nonprofit organization. In 2012, legislation was established making FCADV the official organization in charge of distributing state and federal grants to Florida’s 42 domestic violence shelters.
FCADV was required to submit an annual budget to the legislature for approval, overseeing more than $40 million in funding.
In 2020, Florida ended its contract with FCADV and in 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order to dissolve the organization.
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