(This article has been updated to add new information.)
A Riverside County grand jury has indicted Queer Works CEO Jacob Rostovsky on 53 felony counts, including grand theft and money laundering. Prosecutors allege he stole $940,000 from the city of Palm Springs, Riverside County and others.
Rostovsky ran the nonprofit organization, which accepted $700,000 from the city of Palm Springs to develop a guaranteed income pilot program. City administrators eventually grew suspicious of Rostovsky’s spending and launched a compliance audit, before involving the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office .
The charges filed against Rostovsky include grand theft, misappropriation of public funds, insurance fraud, perjury and money laundering.
Rostovsky surrendered to the DA’s Office last week, posted $944,000 bail and pleaded not guilty to all charges in court Wednesday as the case was unsealed.
In addition to city funds from Palm Springs, Rostovsky is alleged to have misused funds from Riverside County grants. In July 2021, Queer Works received grant funding from Riverside County to aid homeless individuals and victims of domestic violence, according to a press release from the DA’s Office.