Leader of Va. Charity Confesses to Embezzlement

A volunteer executive director of Santa Pal, a nonprofit group in Bristol, Va., has been charged with embezzling more than $75,000 from the charity, reports The Bristol Herald Courier.

Jimmie Clark, who ran the annual Christmas program for needy children for more than five years, admitted in a letter to the charity’s board that he took money from the organization to settle personal debts.

“For the past two years, I have not been able to sleep at night and have contemplated committing suicide on numerous occasions,” Mr. Clark wrote to the board. “I truly do love this program and cannot believe that it has come to this. I am sorry for what I have done and will accept any consequence that comes with my actions ranging from incarceration to a lifetime of community service.”

The letter arrived shortly after Santa Pal’s board questioned discrepancies in the charity’s financial records and began tracking bank transactions.