TOLEDO, Ohio — A former director of an Ohio nonprofit has admitted to stealing over $200,000 from the organization and its donors, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Office.
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Thomas Ostrosky, 52, pleaded guilty to theft from a person in a protected class, solicitation fraud and telecommunications fraud on Wednesday.
Ostrosky was formally charged in April and arrested in Florida after an investigation by Yost’s Charitable Law Section, according to the office.
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“The defendant exploited the goodwill of donors who believed in the organization’s mission,” Yost said. “Such a shameful betrayal of the community’s trust demands accountability.”
Ostrosky was the director of the Lazarus Experience, a nonprofit in the Toledo area. He founded the organization in 2017.
The office said the nonprofit was described as a Christian ministry providing re-entry services to incarcerated men across northwest Ohio; however, it is no longer in operation.
Ostrosky will be sentenced on Dec. 2 in Lucas County.
Ohioans who believe there is misuse of charitable funds or fraudulent fundraising activities can contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515 or charitable.ohioago.gov.
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