The CEO of Queer Works, a Palm Springs-based nonprofit, has been charged in a fraud scheme involving the theft of more than $940,000 in public funds, officials announced.
A Riverside County grand jury indicted Jacob Joseph Aaron Rostovsky, 33, with 53 felony counts including fraudulent claims, grand theft, misappropriation of public funds, insurance fraud, perjury and money laundering.
The district attorney’s office announced that this indictment includes “an aggravated white-collar crime enhancement due to the significant economic loss of the scheme.”
According to the Queer Works website , the nonprofit was created to provide accessible mental health services and “promote health equity within the transgender and gender non-binary (TGI) community.” The website also says the nonprofit was originally founded by Rostovsky in 2018.
The DA’s office says that in July of 2021, Queer Works received grant funding from Riverside County for programs aimed at assisting homeless individuals and victims of domestic violence.