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A former District official has been charged with stealing from his constituents less than one week after a city councilman from the same ward pleaded guilty to similar charges. Former Ward 5 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner William Shelton was charged in federal court Wednesday with fraud for allegedly stealing $28,526.21 from the commission’s checking account without authorization. Shelton took the money over a year-long period that ended in August 2011, according to the court filing.
The filing was an information document, which is typically means a plea agreement is forthcoming.
Such was the case when former Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. pleaded guilty to theft and fraud last week after a months-long federal investigation into his finances. According to the plea, Thomas funneled more than $350,000 in city grant money meant for youth baseball to nonprofits that kicked back most of the money to Thomas.
Thomas then spent the money on luxury cars, clothes, expensive meals, trips and entertainment for a political event the night of President Obama’s inauguration.
The federal investigation was sparked by a lawsuit against Thomas filed by D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan last summer. Thomas settled the suit in July, agreeing to pay back $300,000.
Shelton, who was the chair of the advisory commission, likewise used the city funds on himself, according to a city suit filed against him last summer. That suit was sparked by a city auditor’s report on the ANC that found payments went to a dozen vendors including AT&T, Bloomingdales, Target and Lexus. Shelton used a bank card to withdraw the funds, according to Wednesday’s court filing.
Shelton did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday and his attorney could not be reached.
Shelton, who chaired ANC 5B when the scandal broke, reached a settlement with Nathan last month and agreed to pay back the “misappropriated funds” in installments. Shelton resigned from the commission in August after he was sued.
A plea hearing date had not been determined by press time Wednesday.
