IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - The president of a Christian charity in Iowa has admitted that he embezzled nearly a half-million dollars in donations and used the money to pay for a sex addiction.
Jon Petersen of Cedar Rapids pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of filing a false tax return, under a plea agreement with prosecutors.
He’s the president of World Ambassadors Ltd., a nonprofit founded in 1993 to provide a Christian outreach to international students on college campuses.
Prosecutors say Petersen diverted $475,000 received by the group to his personal checking account between 2010 and 2014 - virtually all of its funding. The guilty plea concerned his 2013 tax filing, when he failed to report $114,000 in income.
Petersen claimed he struggled with a sex addiction and used the money to pay for it.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.