PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An ex-fitness coach used funds that clients believed were for charity to “fuel his cocaine habit,” local authorities revealed.
Ryan Andrew Tong pleaded guilty to felony charges of first-degree theft, first-degree aggravated theft and computer crime in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Friday. The Oregon Department of Justice reported that the former Orangetheory Fitness instructor would send customers’ money directly to his Venmo account, after telling them it would be donated to charities and matched by other companies.
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Court records show his crimes spanned from late April 2021 to early June 2024. He was charged in October of last year.
According to state officials, investigators from ODOJ’s Charitable Activities Section determined how many donations Tong diverted by looking at forensic accounting data. His sentencing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6…