Following a guilty plea, Ruby Jade Corado, founder of the now-defunct non-profit Casa Ruby, has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for misappropriating COVID-19 relief funds, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. Casa Ruby, previously acclaimed for its services to the LGBTQ+ community in Washington D.C., has been marred by this financial scandal. Corado, who also goes by Vladimir Orlando Artiga Corado, was handed a 33-month sentence by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, after admitting to wire fraud charges back in July 2024.
The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed that not only will Corado serve prison time, she has also been ordered to pay upwards of $950,000 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. Trouble began for Casa Ruby in 2022, when the non-profit faced scrutiny over financial irregularities. Corado subsequently sold her home in Maryland, and left for El Salvador – only to be apprehended by FBI agents in March 2024 upon an unexpected return to the United States.
Prior to its decline, Casa Ruby was a beacon for marginalized individuals, claiming to provide extensive services including housing for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, and case management for LGBTQ+ immigrants. The organization, which once boasted a substantial staff and delivered over 30,000 services annually, came to an abrupt halt in July 2022 with the closures of its transitional housing facilities, unpaid employee wages, and evictions from multiple properties.
Alongside the sentencing release, FBI Assistant Director Darren B. Cox and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas were cited confirming the conclusion of the investigation. The case, under the review of multiple law enforcement agencies, was ultimately prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Borchert, and former U.S. Attorneys Madhu Chugh, and Kathryn Rakoczy.
