San Francisco, CA
Former San Francisco nonprofit CEO charged with misappropriating $1.2 million in public funds
The former head of a San Francisco-based nonprofit providing services to the homeless has been charged with nine felonies for allegedly stealing and misappropriating more than $1 million in public funds, prosecutors said.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ office announced Monday that charges were filed against 71-year-old Gwendolyn Westbrook, the former CEO of the United Council for Human Services (UCHS). Westbrook was charged following an investigation by the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Task Force.
“Ms. Westbrook is accused of unlawfully misappropriating public money and grant funds on behalf of UCHS, while exercising near-exclusive financial control over the organization,” the DA’s office said in a statement.
Prosecutors charged Westbrook for one count of misappropriation, three counts of grand theft, one count of presenting a false invoice for payment and four counts of filing false California tax returns.
Court documents allege Westbrook misappropriated more than $1.2 million in public funds from the nonprofit’s accounts to herself. Westbrook allegedly used a combination of undocumented cash withdrawals, self-issued payments and fraudulent reimbursement practices between 2019 and 2023.
Prosecutors said additional large sums withdrawn from the group’s accounts remain unaccounted for.
Westbrook is also accused of filing false tax returns for tax years 2020 through 2023.
According to Jenkins’ office, Westbrook is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at the Hall of Justice.
San Francisco, CA
Giants reassign 3B coach Borg; Wotus named interim replacement
Borg has made several questionable calls from
San Francisco, CA
Driver Arrested After Pedestrian Killed, Three Injured In Mission District Crash
One pedestrian died at the hospital and three others suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a driver struck them in SF’s Mission District earlier this week.
The San Francisco Police Department arrested a driver suspected of fatally striking four pedestrians in the area of 16th and Mission streets Monday morning, as KRON4 reports.
Officers responded to the scene at 12:13 am and found medics treating one pedestrian with life-threatening injuries. The person later died at a nearby hospital, and three other pedestrians sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver was reportedly detained soon after the collision. The department has not announced what charges they will receive.
“We hold the victim and their loved ones in our thoughts, and grieve this loss of life on San Francisco’s streets,” said Jodie Medeiros, executive director for Walk SF, in a release. “We all deserve to be able to get around safely in our city.”
This marks the ninth pedestrian death in San Francisco this year. It’s also the second such death in the Mission, following the tragic death of local musician Danielle Spillman at Mission Street and South Van Ness Avenue in April, as SFist reported previously.
Four pedestrians were killed throughout the month of March, including deaths in Chinatown, the Financial District, North Beach, and the Outer Mission. In late February, a two-year-old was run over in Mission Bay.
Anyone with information may contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text “TIP411,” beginning with “SFPD.”
Wife of SoMa Hit-and-Run Suspect Says ‘My Husband Is Not a Villain’
Image: Google Maps
San Francisco, CA
California Supreme Court ruling on bail sparks debate over what it means for San Francisco’s safety
A recent California Supreme Court ruling is changing how bail is set across the state, and it’s sparking a sharp debate in San Francisco about what it could mean for public safety.
Inside her office, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said every decision carries weight. She views her role through one lens: protecting the public.
“My responsibility to San Francisco is public safety,” Jenkins said. “And to be transparent to me in achieving that safety. This is a ruling that has real-life consequences, and deny that would be untruthful and would not help people understand why we may see retraction from our progress.”
The ruling requires judges to set bail at levels defendants can afford, shifting the focus away from cash bail and toward whether someone poses a risk to public safety.
Jenkins said she believes that shift could have serious consequences.
“I knew it would be immediately be devastating to public safety and the state of California and had a lot of concerns that I thought needed to be shared with the public and other city leaders,” she said.
She warns that the change could make it easier for repeat offenders, particularly those involved in drug-related crimes, to be released before trial.
“These judges don’t live in San Francisco, many of them,” Jenkins said. “They don’t live in places like the Tenderloin that are most affected by these issues. They are ruling in a way that has impacts on other people’s lives.”
But not everyone agrees with that assessment.
San Francisco Defense Attorney Marsanne Weese said the ruling does not eliminate accountability and that courts still have tools to detain people who pose a threat.
“In regards to her statements, there is no basis for it,” Weese said. “And the justices pointed out that there are a number of non-financial tools the lower courts can use and should use.”
Those tools include options like pretrial detention and supervised release, which allow judges to consider risk without relying solely on a person’s ability to pay bail.
“So, in regards to this being a drastic change, yes, it will be a drastic change, but not to safety,” Weese added.
For Jenkins, the concern is not just the intent of the law, but how it will be applied in real-world courtrooms and what that means on city streets.
For now, there is unease for some, optimism for others, and a growing debate over what public safety will look like under this new system.
-
Augusta, GA30 seconds agoWhat is the cheapest place to buy a home in GA? This city ranks 8 in US
-
Washington, D.C6 minutes agoStorm Team4 Forecast: May ends with sunshine and clear skies
-
Cleveland, OH13 minutes agoWatches & Wonders Comes to Cleveland Hosted by Alson Jewelers
-
Austin, TX15 minutes agoTexas agency denies Austin ISD pause for 3 middle schools facing takeover risk
-
Alabama21 minutes agoOklahoma State Baseball Live Scoring for NCAA Regional vs. Alabama State
-
Alaska28 minutes agoHere’s Why Alaska Air Shares Popped Higher This Week | The Motley Fool
-
Arizona31 minutes agoArizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for May 29, 2026
-
Arkansas36 minutes ago
No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks’ Historic Season Comes to an End at WCWS