Hanover
Danielle Goodwin, 47, of Hanover, allegedly took $12,000 from the nonprofit in August 2015, when she wrote checks to her son and daughter-in-law, according to the indictment handed up last week by a Grafton County grand jury.
Also indicted were Alexander Donahue, 26, and his wife, Sarah Healy Donahue, 27, who each are charged with two felonies: receiving stolen property and theft. Donahue is Goodwin’s son, according to Hanover police.
According to the indictments, Donahue received a check for almost $5,000 drawn on the Project VetCare account, and his wife received a check for $7,005, also on Project VetCare’s account.
Both checks were written by Goodwin, according to the indictments, and were identical to the amounts that Goodwin is accused of taking. The Donahues live in North Carolina.
Last August, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office removed several directors with Project VetCare because of what it said was a misuse of money for the benefit of the executive director and her family; an employee; and some members of the charity’s board of directors.
The state alleged that Goodwin used Project VetCare money to pay for a cruise, a new heating system for her Hanover home and loans to her son. Goodwin’s husband, Gavin Goodwin, received a $47,000 loan from Project VetCare funds, according to a report from the Attorney General’s Office.
Project VetCare was started about six years ago and was created to help veterans in the Upper Valley and beyond with health care and other needs, including housing.
The Charitable Trust Unit of the Attorney General’s Office began an investigation in March 2016, after it received an anonymous tip that money from the nonprofit had paid for oil deliveries to the Goodwins’ home, as well as the new heating system.
In November, Goodwin pleaded not guilty to a theft charge of $24,600. It is unclear why the indictments were for lesser amounts. A message left for Grafton County Attorney Lara Saffo was not immediately returned.
In addition to the criminal investigation, Goodwin and others who allegedly took Project VetCare funds reached settlements to repay some of the money. Goodwin agreed to pay $90,000 upon the sale of her home on Kingsford Road and her husband agreed to repay $30,000 of the loan.
VetCare was put into receivership and its assets were liquidated after state authorities discovered that money had been diverted.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
