San Francisco Safe Inc
The former leader of a nonprofit organization in San Francisco has been taken into custody by investigators from the District Attorney’s office. She is accused of illegally taking funds intended for crime prevention efforts. Kyra Worthy, who currently lives in Richmond, is facing multiple charges including misuse of public funds, embezzlement, and submitting false records. She is also accused of not paying employees their full wages and writing fraudulent checks while she was in charge of SF SAFE, a longstanding nonprofit that works towards improving safety and reducing crime through community participation, according to prosecutors.
DA’s Office Estimates Losses:
– $500,000 Squandered
– $90,000 Home Healthcare Nurse
– $100,000 Personal Expenses
Former Executive Director Of A San Francisco Nonprofit Was Arrested
On Tuesday, the former executive director of a San Francisco nonprofit was arrested for numerous criminal offenses involving the misuse of over $700,000 in public funds. San Francisco’s District Attorney’s Office reported that Kyra Worthy, a resident of Richmond, is facing charges such as misappropriation of public funds, embezzlement, and submitting fraudulent invoices. Worthy held the position as head of SF SAFE, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting safety and crime prevention in the community through organizing, until her termination in January 2024 due to her misconduct and the nonprofit’s sudden closure.
Grant Money Spent
The investigation into Worthy’s misuse of funds began after a audit conducted by the San Francisco Office of the Controller revealed that SF SAFE had improperly spent at least $80,000 in grant money from the San Francisco Police Department on unnecessary expenses, including extravagant gift boxes, a Lake Tahoe trip, parking fees, and ride-hailing services. During her time as executive director (since 2018), Worthy is accused of taking and misusing more than $100,000 of SF SAFE’s funds for her personal benefit. This includes using $90,000 to pay for a home health worker for her parents and $8,000 for rent, falsely labeling these payments as community meeting expenses and a safety project in District 10.
Luxury Gift Boxes
Even as SF SAFE was facing financial troubles, Worthy allegedly spent large sums of money on lavish parties and gifts. In 2022 and 2023, she reportedly spent over $350,000 on luxury gift boxes and held an extravagant event, known as “Candy Explosion,” that cost the nonprofit $100,000 for desserts, a taco truck, petting zoo, event planners, and other unnecessary items. Additionally, she spent approximately $56,000 on a holiday party for the nonprofit, which she is facing four counts of wage theft for not paying her employees during this time.
Office of Economic and Workforce Development
Worthy’s actions also affected other organizations, as she received over $500,000 in public funds from the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development but allegedly failed to pay employees at partner organizations as promised in the contract. She is charged with four counts of submitting fraudulent invoices to the Office, claiming to have paid all wages and taxes to employees when in reality she had not.
34 Felony Charges
The investigation, spanning several months, led to Worthy’s arrest and 34 felony charges. Her alleged theft and mismanagement led to the downfall of SF SAFE and jeopardized the trust of the public and organizations involved.
