SACRAMENTO - Claudia Humphrey, 62, of American Canyon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to six months in prison and ordered to pay $71,423 in restitution for theft of public money and falsifying records in a federal investigation, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Judge Nunley ordered Humphrey to self-surrender on May 23 to begin serving her sentence.
According to court documents, Humphrey was the executive director of LIFT3 Support Group Inc., a non-profit organization in Fairfield that offered transitional shelter assistance and other services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence, primarily serving residents in Solano County. Humphrey, through LIFT3, sought and received federal grants from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in 2011 and 2012.
Humphrey transferred or caused to be transferred over $270,000 in grant funds that were to be used only for assisting victims of domestic violence into bank accounts she controlled. Humphrey used over $70,000 of those victim funds on personal expenses such as travel, shopping, and payments to her family members, among other things.
According to court documents, between October 2014 and August 2015, in an effort to conceal her embezzlement of federal funds, Humphrey obstructed the efforts of an OVW audit of LIFT3. Humphrey falsified purchase documents showing that computers were purchased, and altered and falsified expense ledgers and time sheets.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Thuesen handled the sentencing in the case.