February 10, 2015

Former CEO Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Embezzling More Than $900,000 from Non-Profit Employer

SAN FRANCISCO—Robert Bradley Strahan, a/k/a Robin Bradley, a/k/a Kaola Bradley, was sentenced yesterday to 57 months in prison, and ordered to pay $1,105,481 in restitution for an embezzlement scheme, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge José M. Martinez.

Strahan, 51, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty on November 3, 2014, to wire fraud, mail fraud, and tax evasion. According to the plea agreement, Strahan admitted to embezzling more than $920,000 from a non-profit trade association in San Francisco where he worked as the chief financial officer. Strahan’s responsibilities included bookkeeping, payroll, and accounting. As the CFO, he had complete control over and access to the association’s books, records, and bank accounts. Without the knowledge or authorization of the non-profit trade association, Strahan wrote and cashed checks payable to himself and to “Cash” totaling over $550,000; he used the association’s credit cards to make unauthorized purchases totaling over $250,000; and he put an acquaintance on the payroll who received over $120,000 but did almost no work. To conceal the money that he embezzled, Strahan made false entries in the association’s accounting systems. Strahan also e-mailed false financial statements to the board of directors that omitted the funds he was taking for his personal use. Finally, Strahan did not pay income taxes on any of the money he embezzled for calendar years 2009 through 2013, resulting in tax due and owing to the Internal Revenue Service of over $175,000.

Strahanwas charged by superseding indictment on August 7, 2014, with three counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and two counts of tax evasion.

The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Thelton E. Henderson, United States District Court Judge, in San Francisco, following guilty pleas to four counts—two counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, one count of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and one count of tax evasion, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201. Judge Henderson also sentenced the defendant to a 3 year period of supervised release and ordered the defendant to pay $1,105,481 in restitution to victims. Strahan was arrested on May 30, 2014, and has remained in custody since that time.

Hallie Mitchell Hoffman is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Mary Mallory and Bridget Kilkenny. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the IRS, Criminal Investigation.