A judge in Grand Rapids sentenced a former shelter executive to prison for stealing federal funds meant for survivors of domestic violence

Teri Lyn Looney was sentenced Tuesday, June 30, to two years in federal prison for embezzling $95,193 from SIREN/Eaton Shelter, an agency that serves homeless families and survivors of domestic violence in Eaton County.

U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering handed down the sentence in Grand Rapids. She also ordered Looney to serve two years of supervised release after her prison term ends and to pay $95,193 in restitution.

Money stolen from victims' services

Looney served as executive director of SIREN/Eaton Shelter in Charlotte from June 2021 to May 2023, according to court records. The agency received funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Victims of Crime Act program and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"Looney's theft is beyond reprehensible," Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler said in a sentencing memorandum. "She stole $95,193 in taxpayer money intended for domestic violence survivors and their families. The impact on SIREN was enormous: it lost its savings and had to reduce the services it provided to domestic violence victims."

Court records showed Looney admitted to embezzling funds through cash withdrawals, certified checks, and CashApp payments.

Defense argues no malicious motive

Looney's attorney, Patrick O'Keefe, asked the judge for house arrest instead of prison. He said Looney needed to care for her teenage children and her husband, who suffered serious injuries in a crash.

"For some crimes, the perpetrator has no clear motive," O'Keefe said. "Ms. Looney's case is a textbook example of this phenomenon. Her offense is borne from a lack of thinking rather than greed. Perhaps the motive was supplementing her income. Perhaps Ms. Looney was a scofflaw. Either way, there was nothing malicious here."

O'Keefe told the court that SIREN was in disarray when Looney began her tenure. He noted that $278,000 in grant funds had already gone missing before she arrived. He contended that SIREN officials engaged in a "smear campaign" against Looney despite her efforts to save the agency from having to repay the $278,000.

A first offense

Looney had no prior criminal record before this conviction, according to court documents. She left SIREN/Eaton Shelter in May 2023 for a position at another nonprofit.

The case was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Grand Rapids.