BUFFALO, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) — New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced a lawsuit May 15 against fake grant writer Christina Sanford Gordon who allegedly stole more than $200,000 from Buffalo churches and nonprofits.
According to allegations, Gordon used a sophisticated scheme to misrepresent herself as a grant writer and fundraiser to more than 30 organizations in the region. She purportedly obtained organizational funds to apply for state-awarded grants, but never actually completed applications. Instead, she would allegedly use the funds for personal gain. Schneiderman’s office seeks restitution for the victimized entities and an injunction to ban Gordon from ever representing herself as a fundraiser.
“State grants are often the lifeblood of organizations whose mission is to help others,” Schneiderman said. “As we allege, Gordon’s far-reaching scheme defrauded dozens of Buffalo churches and non-profits, preying on their funding needs by lying, stealing their money and stringing them along – often with disastrous results for the organizations. We’ve filed criminal charges and a civil suit to get these organizations the restitution they deserve. New Yorkers who believe they have been similarly defrauded should contact our office right away.”
Handling the case for New York are assistant attorney general James M. Morrissey, senior investigator Kenneth Peters and investigator Erica Law.