Ruby Corado, the embattled founder of the shuttered D.C.-based LGBTQ+ nonprofit Casa Ruby, has been granted release from jail ahead of her federal trial for fraud and money laundering, a judge ruled Tuesday. According to WJLA, the 53-year-old is accused of siphoning off at least $150,000 of taxpayer-backed emergency relief funds, intended for the nonprofit she once helmed, and rerouting them to her personal offshore bank accounts for private use.

Corado was initially flagged for financial discrepancies when authorities noticed irregularities in Casa Ruby's accounting. It emerged that she allegedly redirected over a million dollars of aid money before selling her Prince George's County home and high-tailing it to El Salvador. In light of the recently uncovered financial misdealings, the court has set her sister, a resident of suburban Maryland, as a third-party custodian upon her release, as noted by her public defender in a statement acquired by WTOP.

The saga of Casa Ruby has been marked by sudden closures and financial turmoil, culminating in the organization ceasing operations in July 2022. It left a trail of unpaid employees, unpaid rent, and failed housing support commitments, before Corado's abrupt departure to Central America. She faces multiple charges, including bank fraud, wire fraud, laundering of monetary instruments, and failure to file a report of foreign bank account. As indicated in a report by DC News Now, Corado has not yet entered a formal plea.

Despite the crippling blow dealt to the community by the alleged misuse of funds by its own founder, the saga will continue in the courts with Corado's next hearing slated for April 14. With the eyes of the displaced LGBTQ+ youth and a swindled public upon her, the promises of Casa Ruby and its fall from grace linger as a stark reminder of trust betrayed. Corado's upcoming trial will no doubt seek to unveil the full extent of the alleged financial mismanagement behind one of D.C.'s most pivotal community support systems.