OCALA, Fla. — An Ocala man is now in trouble with the law after allegedly stealing about a quarter of a million dollars from a nonprofit that helps homeless people.
40-year-old Dennys Grundy was arrested after investigators say he sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to himself while he acted as the Executive Director of ‘Open Arms Village’, in Ocala.
“When we were reviewing the financials, there were a few things that were not adding up; that’s what opened the door. And the deeper we got, the worse it got,” said Harvey Vandeven, board member at ‘Open Arms Village.’ The nonprofit also helps men struggling with substance abuse to get and remain sober.
According to Ocala Police, Open Arms Village found out through an audit that its executive Director was using its funds for himself.
“It’s a financial hit. It is a nonprofit; we are not making any money, but we do have to keep the lights on and keep our residents fed,” said Davieoyn Hopson, Director of Behavioral Health at the organization.
Investigators say 40-year-old Dennys Grundy, who was on the job since at least 2023, used his title to access the money.
Documents show Grundy obtained about $ 30,000 in unauthorized checks, roughly $ 13,000 through bank accounts, and more than $235,000 via wire transfers on PayPal.
Grundy is now charged with Organized Fraud Scheme and Grand Theft.
‘Open Arms Village’ has been around for about 10 years and serves as a transitional home for about 30 men who are trying to get back on their feet.
The financial impact is now forcing the organization to push back on projects they had scheduled for this year. “This has put a little dent on beginning our women’s program, which we were hoping to start our remodeling, but we will have to pause that for a few months and do some fundraising,” said Vandeven.
Grundy had been in trouble with the law before for similar cases in 2006 and 2013.
The suspect has now been released on a 20-thousand-dollar bond.
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