RANDALL MORRISON, 50, a former Kirkland, Washington resident, who now resides in Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $112,220 in restitution for wire fraud.  MORRISON is the former Treasurer of the non-profit Ronald McDonald House Holiday Cruise (RMHHC) charitable organization based in Kirkland.  Between 2006 and 2009, MORRISON embezzled more than $112,000 from RMHHC, which solicits volunteers and charitable donations for the Ronald McDonald House, and organizes activities, gatherings, and events throughout the year for medically fragile children and their families.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said MORRISON showed “a pattern of someone who has embezzled from employers or a charity that you voluntarily join….” And showed “complete indifference to the law or a continuation of criminal behavior to benefit himself.”

            According to records in the case, MORRISON was hired as the Treasurer for RMHHC in 2005.  In August 2006, MORRISON moved to Ohio, but remained as the Treasurer for RMHHC, making his reports to the non-profit’s board by email and telephone.  Beginning in September 2006, MORRISON began writing checks and wiring funds from the RMHHC accounts which appeared to be for the legitimate business of RMHHC, but were in actuality diverting charitable funds for MORRISON’s personal uses.  MORRISON concealed the thefts by falsifying reports which he emailed to the RMHHC board in Kirkland.  RMHCC was first alerted to the theft in early 2009, when MORRISON’s employer in Ohio contacted RMHHC, because of suspected embezzlement at that company.  MORRISON was terminated from both the Ohio employer and RMHHC in early 2009.

            At sentencing prosecutors asked that MORRISON get significant prison time, writing to the court: “The heartlessness of his acts is indescribable. Mr. Morrison…systematically drained the financial reserves of the charity and used those funds — specifically, donations and charitable gifts earmarked to benefit extremely ill children and their families — to sustain a preferred lifestyle that exceeded his already sizeable income. In doing so, Mr. Morrison exploited the trust of good-hearted people, undermined the charitable organization to the point of near collapse, and stole from the families of sick and, in some cases, dying children. As aptly noted by one of the victim statements, ‘The damage goes beyond the initial loss of funds.’ Because of Randall Morrison’s embezzlement, the organization has discontinued all but one of its annual events, and now teeters on the brink of ceasing operations altogether.”

            The case was investigated by the Kirkland Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Masada.

 

Return to Top