Ashley Clark Ingram, a former finance director at Habitat for Humanity of Central South Carolina, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison. Ingram, aged 35 and residing in Columbia, pleaded guilty to the theft of government funds after misappropriating money from the nonprofit organization.
The court was presented with evidence that during her tenure as director of finance and operations, Ingram applied for an employee retention tax credit from the IRS without informing Habitat for Humanity. The credit was intended for retaining employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. She received checks amounting to $388,550.75 from the United States Treasury and deposited them into a Habitat account she controlled. Subsequently, she transferred these funds into her personal bank accounts. In total, she misappropriated approximately $514,672.37 from both Habitat for Humanity and the U.S. Government.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis handed down a sentence of 24 months imprisonment followed by two years of court-ordered supervision. In addition to serving time, Ingram was ordered to pay restitution of $30,165.47 to Habitat for Humanity, which she rendered today. She must also pay a $10,000 fine and a $100 special assessment fee.
The FBI's Columbia Field Office conducted the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews is leading the prosecution.