Local Non-Profit Director Takes Money, Disappears
An investigation by the Travis County District Attorney's office into whether non-profit executive Louanne Aponte stole funds from Family Connections (leading to the shuttering of the organization) has taken a major step forward. Aponte is accused of keeping more than $300,000 from Family Connections between 2004 and September 2009.
Family Connections was forced to close its doors last week after investigators found evidence that audits used to secure over $1 million dollars in government contracts were falsified. Since there were no secure audits which would assure the organization's financial soundness, funding was put on hold.
But Family Connections may not be the only Central Texas non-profit affected; Aponte served in a financial capacity at other non-profits in recent years. Prosecutors are looking into allegations of possible theft from these other organizations.
Aponte had a substantial criminal record of embezzlement during the 1980s. However, in 1990, when she was hired by Austin Families (later merging into Family Connections) there appeared to be no scrutiny of her record. Mike Rush, executive director at the time of Aponte's hiring, told the Statesman he had no knowledge of Aponte's criminal record and couldn't recall whether the agency conducted a background check at the time.
Commenting on organizational oversight, Jerry Davis, CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, told Austinist, "Nonprofits can fall victim to the same problems as any other business when ethics are compromised and accountability is not upheld. It's big news because we are held to a higher standard, but the organizational problems aren't hard to fix . . . The fallout is hard to fix."
As the investigation continues, Aponte has vanished. Her house in South Austin's Circle C community was put up for sale March 26, but as of last Saturday withdrawn. There is speculation that she, along with her husband, has fled to Venezuela, where she has dual citizenship and in-laws. The Latin-American country prohibits the extradition of Venezuelan nationals.
