SAN FRANCISCO—Athena Harven, a former San Francisco nonprofit director of operations in the Sunnydale Neighborhood, who was at the center of an embezzlement controversy for Together, United, Recommitted, Forever, or shortened to TURF, caused the organization to be closed down in 2019. Its mission was to provide job training to the marginalized, assist in crime reduction through resource matching and accessing education, training, recreation and advocacy.
Harven wrote at least 102 unauthorized checks from the nonprofit’s bank account to herself, which totaled $241,000. She forged the executive director’s signature on many of those checks, which she indicated on the memo line for ‘payroll taxes’ or other legitimate businesses. She created a fake email address, posing as a California Economic Development Department employee, intercepting dozens of communications from state tax authorities about the organization’s unpaid payroll taxes, concealing her fraud from the organization’s leadership and outside accountants. The four counts of wire fraud were committed when fraudulent transactions were made via wire communications
Afterwards, she deposited those checks into her own personal accounts, spending them on a wide range of personal items like rent, utilities, groceries, clothing from high-end stores like Victoria’s Secret and H&M, travel expenses, which included a cake expo in Miami and casinos in Vegas. She also used the money for her own bakery business.
She was charged with and pled guilty to embezzlement Friday, October 10, 2025, on four counts of wire fraud. Each count pertains to a multi-year scheme to embezzle funds from TURF. Harven had admitted to misappropriating at least $241,000 in funds from the nonprofit. She also admitted to concealing from outside accountants and communications on unpaid payroll taxes. As part of a plea agreement, she had agreed to admit that she embezzled funds for her own personal causes. She may be sentenced for up to 20 years behind bars and have to give repayments of at least $241,000.
