St. Louis charity director sentenced for 10-year, $700K embezzlement scheme
ST. LOUIS - The former finance director of a St. Louis charity has been sentenced to federal prison for embezzling nearly $700,000 over a decade.
A federal judge sentenced Joelle Fouse, 58, to three years and four months in prison and ordered her to repay the stolen funds.
Fouse was the manager and director of finance and human resources for Promise Community Homes, formerly known as Rainbow Village. The charity provides housing and resources for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Investigators say Fouse abused her role overseeing payroll, reimbursements and financial records.
Fouse made 71 unauthorized payroll deposits totaling $139,810, another 181 unauthorized expense reimbursement payments totaling $407,186, and another 184 unauthorized purchases on the charity's credit card totaling $133,210. These thefts also led to $10,694 in excess payroll taxes.
In total, investigators say she embezzled $690,902.
“We are now forced to spend valuable time and resources reassuring donors-many of whom have supported us for decades that we remain trustworthy and financially stable. Every hour we spend restoring confidence is an hour not spent serving our residents,” Promise Homes Executive Director Matt Elmore wrote in a letter to court.
Investigators say Fouse used the money for personal expenses like travel, luxury goods, entertainment and rent. To conceal her crimes, she falsified financial reports, doctored receipts and blocked access to records that would have revealed her scheme.
Fouse worked at the charity from October 2012 until her termination in December 2023, when the charity alerted federal authorities. She pleaded guilty in April 2025 to three felony counts of wire fraud.
