A Latino non-profit located in Ohio has shut its doors following the resignation of its executive director reportedly confessed to taking money to pay for her gambling addiction.
Sabina Serratos, who was the former director of the executive office at Adelante, The Latino Resource Center, in a Zoom interview scheduled for 2020. Serratos has been accused of stealing nearly $400,000 in funds from the organization to gamble. (Image: CBS11)
Toledo’s The Blade reports that Sabina Serratos is the focus of a recent criminal complaint submitted to The Toledo Police Department. Serratos was the director of the executive for Adelante, The Latino Resource Center, before her resignation earlier in the year.
Serratos was fired after board members were made aware of possible fraud arising from an audit of the company’s finances by a third party. Adelante Chairperson Daniel Briones filed the complaint with the police on April 29.
In 1990, the organization was founded. Adelante was founded in 1990. It was founded in 1990. Adelante is a Latino social service agency and advocacy organization that offers support as well as education and outreach to the community of Northwest Ohio. Its programs include tackling the issue of food problems, language barriers and unemployment.
Guilt Reportedly Admitted
Serratos was appointed the executive director at Adelante in the year 2018. In her new position, she reportedly had access to the organization’s bank accounts as well as credit and debit cards. Instead of utilizing this money for the cause that is mainly funded by the county and state, and also private donors, Serratos allegedly used the non-profit for the organization’s private piggy bank.
The Adelante board informed ABC13 that Serratos finally admitted to taking money to fund her extravagant gambling excursions. She gambled at casinos in Las Vegas and Detroit, but the bulk of the money was used to gamble at the Hollywood Casino Toledo.
The auditors believe Serratos played with more than $340,000 of Adelante’s funds in the Toledo casino. The majority of the costs were incurred in April, September, and November of 2021.
The financial investigation also revealed unproven ATM withdrawals and transactions made with Adelante cards that totalled $25,445. A loan of $49,900 from KeyBank is also exempted by the business, but auditors claim that the money was transferred to casinos.
Briones said to The Blade, “The auditor report found potential impropriety, and they brought it to our attention. We are reacting to information that was given to us. Our main goal is to file a police report because that is what our insurance requires. As far as the investigation goes, that is out of our hands.”
Briones stated that fundraising efforts of all kinds are suspended, as well as the Adelante facility has been shut down. Adelante is funded through the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Lucas County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services.
In an interview in April 2020 in April 2020 with CBS11, Serratos stressed the challenges which those in the Latino as well as Hispanic communities faced in COVID-19. The former director of Adelante said that difficulties with language and a large percentage of community members not having a legal document make it difficult for them to get federal and state aid.
There are no criminal charges have yet been filed against Serratos. The Change.org petition is calling for the resignation of the board of directors. Adelante board.
