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Judge postpones decision on whether Corado should be held while awaiting trial

Former Casa Ruby director charged with bank fraud, money laundering

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Ruby Corado (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A United States District Court Judge on Friday postponed a decision on whether Ruby Corado, 53, the founder and former executive director of Casa Ruby, should be held in custody while she awaits a trial following her arrest on March 5 on multiple charges related to allegations that she embezzled at least $150,000 from Casa Ruby.

The decision by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather to postpone this decision came during a dramatic detention hearing in which Coradoā€™s court appointed Federal Public Defender Service attorney and the lead prosecutor with the Office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C. presented opposing arguments over whether Corado should be held in custody or released while awaiting trial.

Meriweather said she needed more information about a proposal by defense attorney Diane Shrewsbury that Corado, if released, could be placed in the custody of a family member in Maryland. The judge ordered that the detention hearing would resume on Tuesday, March 12, when she expects to issue her final ruling.

The judge ordered that Corado, who has been held in custody since her arrest on March 5, remain in custody until at least the Tuesday hearing.

The Friday hearing came one day after prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneyā€™s Office filed a 12-page Memorandum In Support of Pretrial Detention that called for Corado to be detained on grounds that chances are significant that she would flee to El Salvador if she were to be released.

ā€œDefendant Ruby Corado poses a unique and serious flight risk,ā€ the prosecutorsā€™ memorandum states.

It points out that the charges pending against her include Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud, Laundering of Monetary Instruments, Transportation with Criminally Derived Proceeds, and Failure to File Report of Foreign Bank Account ā€“ all related to allegations that she embezzled funds from Casa Ruby that came from at least two federal COVID pandemic relief programs.

The memorandum also states that Corado fled to El Salvador in 2022 shortly after news media reports surfaced that she was being investigated for financial improprieties and the Office of the D.C. Attorney General filed civil charges against her for alleged violations of the DC Nonprofit Corporations Act.

The March 7 memo says prosecutors believe Corado fled to El Salvador in 2022 knowing she would face criminal charges related to absconding with Casa Ruby funds. 

ā€œOn February 25, 2024, the defendant returned to the United States from El Salvador,ā€ the prosecutorsā€™ memorandum says. ā€œLaw enforcement promptly sought the instant arrest warrant for the defendant, which this Court issued on March 1, 2024,ā€ it says.

ā€œOn March 5, 2024, the defendant was arrested on that warrant in a hotel located in Laurel, Maryland. The defendant was alone at the hotel,ā€ it says. ā€œAt the time of the arrest, the defendant was in possession of a passport issued by the Republic of El Salvador which had been issued on February 23, 2024.ā€

Prosecutors have not disclosed whether they know why Corado returned to the U.S. and how the FBI, which is leading the investigation that led to Coradoā€™s arrest, learned of her return and her lodging at the hotel in Laurel, Md.

ā€œToday, the defendant owns no property ā€“ not even a vehicle ā€“ in the United States,ā€ the memorandum continues. ā€œThe defendant has no employment or other source of income,ā€ it says, adding that Corado maintains citizenship in El Salvador. ā€œShe has bank accounts of unknown balances in El Salvador which she has failed to disclose to the U.S. government,ā€ it says.

ā€œAnd her spouse lives and works in El Salvador. The Court simply cannot be confident that the defendant will not flee the country again should the Court release her pending trial,ā€ the memorandum concludes.

But in a court motion she filed on Friday and in her arguments at the Friday hearing, defense attorney Shrewsbury disputed the prosecutorsā€™ claims, saying Corado would absolutely not be a flight risk. Shrewsbury disclosed that Corado returned to the U.S. last week with the intention of remaining in the D.C. area, where she has lived for at least 35 years.

The attorney said Corado came back to the D.C. area to take a job, the details of which Shrewsbury did not disclose. But the attorney said Corado has long standing family ties and many friends in the D.C. area and very much wants to fight the charges against her in court.

One more reason for releasing Corado from jail while she awaits trial is that she has been currently placed in the D.C. Jailā€™s male residential section under rules, according to Shrewsbury, that require inmates to be placed in a residential section based on their birth gender. This placement has endangered Coradoā€™s safety, the attorneyā€™s court document says.

Corado identifies as a transgender woman and for many years since founding Casa Ruby became known as an outspoken and admired advocate for LGBTQ rights. Under her leadership, Casa Ruby, as a nonprofit organization, among other things, provided transitional housing and related support services to LGBTQ youth with an outreach to transgender women of color.

However, local transgender rights advocates Earline Budd and Jeri Hughes told the Washington Blade the D.C. Jail has changed its policy and now allows transgender inmates to choose which section of the jail they prefer to be placed. Budd and Hughes, who are members of a special jail committee that reviews placement of trans inmates, said Corado was scheduled to come before the committee on Monday, March 11, to present her preferences on where to be placed.

An arrest affidavit filed in court on March 6 says the federal charges pending against Corado came about after FBI investigators learned that Corado received through Casa Ruby more than $1.3 million over a two-year period from the federal Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. Both were COVID-19 pandemic related programs. 

The arrest affidavit says she allegedly stole at least $150,000 of those funds by transferring the money to bank accounts she held in El Salvador that she opened under her birth name. Ā 

Casa Ruby shut down its operations in July 2022 after Coradoā€™s departure to El Salvador and after it failed to pay its employees and was being evicted from its headquarters building and several of its other properties for failing to pay rent.

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District of Columbia

Two D.C. LGBTQ rights advocates stepping down from jobs

Crenshaw leaving Alston Foundation; Czapary departs mayorā€™s office

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June Crenshaw announced sheā€™s leaving the Wanda Alston Foundation. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Longtime D.C. LGBTQ rights advocate June Crenshaw announced she is stepping down from her position for the past nine years as executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, the local organization that provides housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth.

Around the same time, fellow LGBTQ rights advocate Salah Czapary announced he is stepping down from his position for the past two years as director of the D.C. Mayorā€™s Office of Nightlife and Culture.

Meanwhile, a third longtime local LGBTQ rights advocate, David Meadows, was unanimously confirmed on Nov. 1 by the D.C. Council for an appointment by Mayor Muriel Bowser as a member of the cityā€™s Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board, which is responsible for administering, enforcing, and adjudicating the cityā€™s alcoholic beverage and medical marijuana laws.

Neither Crenshaw nor Czapary disclosed in announcing their departure from their jobs what their future career plans are, and the two didnā€™t immediately respond to a question from the Washington Blade asking about career plans going forward.

Crenshaw currently serves as co-chair of the committee organizing D.C. World Pride 2025, the international LGBTQ Pride celebration expected to draw a million or more visitors to the city for a wide range of World Pride events in late May and early June 2025.

ā€œAfter over nine years of unwavering dedication and visionary leadership, our beloved Executive Director, June Crenshaw, has decided to step into her next chapter,ā€ a statement released by the Wanda Alston Foundation board of directors says. ā€œWhile we will miss Juneā€™s daily presence, we are grateful that she will stay on through the transition to ensure a warm, seamless handover as we actively search for our next executive director,ā€ the statement says.

It adds, ā€œHer unwavering commitment to our mission, clients, and team has helped build a foundation of compassion, resilience, and excellence. This transition reflects her readiness to explore new paths and her belief in the bright future of the Wanda Alston Foundation.ā€

In his own statement, Czapary said he appreciated the opportunity his job gave him to serve the city and its residents and visitors.

ā€œOctober marked my last month in the Mayorā€™s Office and Iā€™m grateful to Mayor Bowser for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Districtā€™s Nightlife and Cultural Director, supporting our hospitality sector ā€“ the sector that makes the city a great place to live and visit,ā€ he said.

ā€œIā€™m proud of positioning the office as a responsive entry point for industry and residents to interact with government,ā€ he said in his statement. ā€œThe role deepened my understanding and love for D.C. in ways I couldnā€™t have imagined two years ago.ā€

Czapary added, ā€œAs for me, Iā€™m excited about whatā€™s next.ā€ But he gave no indication of his future career plans.

In the past 20 years or longer D.C. mayors have appointed an LGBTQ member of what used to be called the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board or ABC Board before its role was expanded to include marijuana regulations. It currently still uses the name ABC Board to denote Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board.

LGBTQ rights advocates have called for at least one LGBTQ member of the board to provide representation for the important role that gay bars and other LGBTQĀ  establishments licensed to sell or serve liquor have historically played in the community.

The boardā€™s previous gay member, Edward Grandis, left the board earlier this year. In a statement released at the time of his confirmation by the Council, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, which works with the ABC Board on liquor and cannabis related regulations, issued a statement introducing Meadows as its new board member.

ā€œMr. Meadows is a long-time Ward 8 LGBTQIA+ community advocate with 30 years of extensive experience serving in leadership roles in District government and civic organizations,ā€ the statement says. ā€œMost recently, Mr. Meadows ran day-to-day operations in the Office of At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds as her Chief of Staff and Senior Adviser,ā€ the statement continues.

It says Meadows previously has served as executive director of the D.C. Democratic Party and notes he began his career in the hospitality industry, including serving as events manager for the D.C.-based National Democratic Club. His appointment on the ABC Board is for a four-year term.

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District of Columbia

D.C. to conduct first-of-its-kind LGBTQ veteransā€™ survey

Forum on trans, gender diverse service members set for Nov. 15

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From left, Mayor's office of LGBTQ Affairs Director Japer Bowles, Department of Defense official Shawn Skelly, Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs Director Charlotte Woodward, Crush Dance Bar co-owner Stephen Rutgers, Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs official Pip Baitinger, and drag performer MacKayla Starr attend the 'Voices of Courage: Reclaiming the Legacy of LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in the Military' event at Crush Dance Bar on Sept. 20. (Photo courtesy of the Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs)

As Veterans Day is celebrated in D.C. and across the nation, Mayor Muriel Bowserā€™s Office of Veterans Affairs announced it has recently drawn up an LGBTQIA+ veteransā€™ survey that it will begin distributing in the next few months.

ā€œThis attempt to survey the LGBTQIA+ veterans population in D.C. will be the first of its kind,ā€ according to Pip Baitinger, who serves as LGBTQIA+ Veterans Outreach and Relation Specialist in the Mayorā€™s Office of Veterans Affairs.

ā€œBarriers have existed in surveying this population due to issues of trust and neglect of the community by institutions in the past,ā€ Baitinger told the Washington Blade. ā€œHowever, this survey will attempt to accurately represent the number of LGBTQIA+ veterans in D.C. and better understand their needs,ā€ she said.

Baitinger pointed out that in addition to working on the survey, the Mayorā€™s Office of Veterans Affairs is hosting a special forum on Nov. 15 called Empowering Voices: Health and Wellness for Transgender and Gender Diverse Veterans.

The forum, which will be held from 1-3:30 p.m. at the D.C. Veterans Administration Medical Center at 50 Irving St., N.W., will include discussion, workshops, and provide resources on topics such as gender affirming care and support from experts, a flyer announcing the event says.

The D.C. LGBTQ veterans survey and the Nov. 15 forum follow a Sept. 20 LGBTQ veterans event hosted jointly by the Mayorā€™s Office of Veterans Affairs and the Mayorā€™s Office of LGBTQ Affairs called ā€œVoices of Courage: Reclaiming the Legacy of LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in the Military.ā€

The event, which was held at the D.C. LGBTQ Crush Dance Bar, was not open to the press because organizers wanted to ensure that LGBTQ veterans could discuss issues that may be sensitive or private that could impact their ability to obtain certain veteransā€™ benefits.

Baitinger provided the Blade with a summary of the issues discussed and raised at the event and identified some of those who spoke at the event. Among them was U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel And Readiness Shawn G. Skelly, who is the highest-ranking transgender official in the Department of Defense. 

Others participating in the event, Baitinger said, were U.S. Air Force member MaKayla Starr, who performed in drag; Charlette Woodward, an official with the Mayorā€™s Office of Veterans Affairs; Japer Bowles, director of the Mayorā€™s Office of LGBTQ Affairs; and Baitinger herself.

The mayorā€™s office noted at the time that the event was scheduled to take place on the 13th anniversary of the repeal of the ā€˜Donā€™t Ask, Donā€™t Tellā€™ law that banned LGBTQ people from serving openly in the U.S. military. Mayor Bowser issued an official mayoral proclamation declaring the day LGBTQIA+ Veterans Day in the District of Columbia.

ā€œDiscussions during the event included the need for greater LGBTQIA+ representation in the military and the progress that has thus far been achieved,ā€ Baitinger said. 

ā€œOne of the primary areas of concern is that of transgender and nonbinary veterans and service members, who are in vitalĀ need of gender affirming care and resources, such as hormones, surgeries, and just general affirming care from doctors who will use correct pronouns during routine doctor visits,ā€ Baitinger said in describing the issues discussed at the Sept. 20 event.

She said an additional issue deemed important at the event was ongoing efforts to upgrade the discharges of LGBTQ veterans, many of whom received so-called ā€œundesirableā€ discharges under the ā€˜Donā€™t Ask, Donā€™t Tellā€™ law before it was repealed. President Joe Biden earlier this year issued a presidential pardon that enabled veterans discharged under the ā€˜Donā€™t Ask, Donā€™t Tellā€™ law to apply for an upgrade of their discharge to the status of honorable discharge.

A list of resources for LGBTQ veterans offered by the Mayorā€™s Office of Veterans Affairs can be accessed at the departmentā€™s website.

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District of Columbia

Gay man found unconscious near D.C. gay bar dies

Police release video of suspects in incident listed as robbery

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D.C. police released a video showing two suspects and a vehicle they believe the suspects used in committing the robbery of Bryan Smith that led to his death. (Screen capture via MPD YouTube)

D.C. police have confirmed that a gay man who worked as a hairstylist and a DJ and who was found unconscious about 5 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, at the intersection of 5th and T Streets, N.W. near the gay bar Uproar has died.

Friends who knew the victim, Bryan Smith, stated in a GoFundMe message seeking support for his medical expenses that he was hospitalized for a severe head injury. His family members told Fox 5 News that he was in a coma.

A D.C. police spokesperson confirmed that Smith died on Nov. 7 and the cause and circumstances surrounding his death were pending with the Northern Virginia Medical Examinerā€™s Office. ā€œOnce we have more information, weā€™ll be putting that out,ā€ D.C. police spokesperson Thomas Lynch told the Washington Blade.

The information released by D.C police indicates Smith at some point was transferred from a D.C. hospital where he was taken by ambulance at the time he was found unconscious to a Virginia hospital, most likely at the request of family members.

Police also released a video showing two suspects and a vehicle they believe the suspects used in committing the robbery of Smith.

ā€œThe ongoing investigation has determined that the man was robbed by two suspects while walking on the block,ā€ according to an Oct. 30 police statement released before Smith died. ā€œDetectives are still working to determine how the victim sustained his injuries,ā€ the statement says.

The statement adds that the suspects have been linked to three other offenses that took place that same morning, two of which were attempted robberies and one of which was a robbery of victims on nearby streets.

Smith was found unconscious on Oct. 27 about five hours after another gay man, Sebastian Thomas Robles Lascarra, 22, was reportedly attacked and beaten by as many as 15 men and women at the McDonaldā€™s restaurant at 14th and U Street, N.W., according to a D.C. police report and information provided by Lascarraā€™s husband.

D.C. police announced they made an arrest Nov. 5 of a 16-year-old juvenile male in connection with the McDonaldā€™s case. The arrest came on the same day police released photos of seven suspects in the McDonaldā€™s assault case taken from video cameras at or near the McDonaldā€™s.

In their release of the video showing the two suspects in the Smith case, police are asking that anyone who may recognize the two individuals should contact police at 202-727-9099 or text their tip to the departmentā€™s TEXT TIP Line at 50411.

ā€œAnyone who may have seen or heard something suspicious in the 500 block of T Street, NW, or the surrounding area around 5:00 a.m. Sunday [Oct. 27] is asked to call the police or text police,ā€ the statement accompanying the release of the police video says. 

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