Three men, including two ex-employees of an unidentified nonprofit organization serving New York City’s homeless population, have been indicted in a scheme that allegedly misappropriated over $500,000 in public funds, Brooklyn Paper reports. 

Jonathan Velazquez, Luis A. Camarena, and Gary DSilva, also known as “Pankaj DSilva,” were listed as defendants in an unsealed indictment on Nov. 21. U.S. Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon arraigned all three men on conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering charges. Prosecutor Breon Peace says money schemes only hurt the people of New York. “These defendants misappropriated public funds through a brazen kickback scheme. When corrupt employees siphon public funds to line their own pockets, the neediest New Yorkers bear the brunt,” the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said.

Prosecutors allege the scheme started when DSilva and Velazquez started working for the management information systems department of a nonprofit based in Brooklyn that operated several homeless shelters. Between 2017 and 2021, both men allegedly conspired with Camarena, who held the title of principal of a vendor contracted to install security cameras at the shelters. The vendor allegedly received $1.6 million in payments from the nonprofit for the installation projects, totaling more than $500,000 of those funds being sent back to DSilva and Velazquez.