Woman Embezzles $100,000 From Government Program Intended for Needy Children in Foster Care: DOJ

A federal jury has convicted a woman of charges related to a fraud scheme she carried out while serving as assistant director of the Spokane Tribe of Indians’ Department of Health and Human Services and Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS).

In a statement, the Justice Department says that Tawhnee Willow Colvin, of Davenport, Washington, is due for sentencing on December 15th after she was convicted of 25 counts of bank fraud and one count of embezzlement from the Spokane Tribe of Indians on September 11th.

While employed as assistant director of DCFS, Colvin had access to the bank account that held the per capita funds allocated for the care of needy children who were in the temporary custody of the tribe. 

From October 2019 to November 2023, Colvin made more than 70 fraudulent money transfers, moving a total of over $50,000 from the DCFS bank account to her personal bank account. She also took out more than $50,000 from the same account. 

Colvin also continued to make fraudulent transfers to her personal account even after she was terminated from employment on October 23rd, 2023.

Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle field office, says the unauthorized transactions left the tribe’s bank account almost drained.

“For years, Ms. Colvin abused the faith placed in her as a public servant to steal tribal funds intended to care for children in foster care… Every one of these dozens of transfers diverted resources away from the most vulnerable members of our society and into her pockets.”

Generated Image: Midjourney