Drummond: Nine charged in scheme to take donations meant for children in crisis
OKLAHOMA CITY (July 28, 2026) – After an investigation by Attorney General Gentner Drummond's office, nine people have been charged in connection with an embezzlement scheme at OKCity Crisis Nursery. The investigation found that Jennifer Lynn Roberts, 43, the nonprofit's founder and executive director, embezzled more than $50,000 in charitable donations for personal use. That spending included cosmetic procedures, salon visits, a gym membership, clothing and vacations. Investigators also found Roberts moved more than $200,000 in funds to other charged individuals through Venmo and Cash App.
“Oklahomans open their wallets to organizations like this because they believe they're helping children, not funding someone's lifestyle,” Drummond said. “When a person exploits that trust and turns a charity into a personal slush fund, my office won't look the other way when vulnerable kids are used as cover for personal greed.”
Roberts faces a felony racketeering charge under the Oklahoma Racketeer-Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act, in addition to embezzlement, charitable solicitation fraud, false preparation of exhibits as evidence, and multiple counts of receiving unlawful proceeds and endeavoring to distribute a controlled substance. The other eight defendants and their charges are:
- Kaleb Roberts — Embezzlement
- Myra Hargrove — Embezzlement
- Chelsea Fowler — Embezzlement; Accessory after the fact for allegedly creating a fake board of directors to help Jennifer Roberts evade prosecution
- Tyler Maness — False preparation of exhibits as evidence, for allegedly falsifying community service records used in an unrelated court case
- Lauren Langley — Receiving unlawful proceeds
- Avery Parker — Receiving unlawful proceeds (two counts), including a vehicle allegedly purchased with Crisis Nursery funds for personal use
- Noel Crow — Receiving unlawful proceeds, tied to the same vehicle purchase
- Christopher Roberts — Endeavoring to distribute a controlled substance
According to charging documents, Roberts founded the nursery in 2018 to help children in crisis situations and served as its sole authorized signer on its bank, Cash App, PayPal and Venmo accounts. Investigators say she continued soliciting tax-deductible donations after the nursery's IRS tax-exempt status was revoked in 2024, and that she and others used nursery funds to obtain controlled substances, including Norco, from family members and other contacts.
Eight people are in custody. Roberts and the eight co-defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
