Karen Velie
Karen Velie lives in San Luis Obispo County.
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Homeless director accused of pocketing donations
KEEPING THEM HOMELESS By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the nonprofits managing the program.) Homeless Services Coordinator Dee Torres routinely took gift cards intended for the needy and homeless for her own use, a number of […]... (Continue Reading)
Paso Robles lenders arrested on multiple fraud charges
By KAREN VELIE Heritage Lending principals Candy Wells and her husband Ronald Wells were arrested Tuesday on seven felony charges. The court has set their bail at $2.5 million each. Prosecutors from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s office charged the Wells with running a scheme to defraud, grand theft and the fraudulent sale […]... (Continue Reading)
Wisto feared Myers would expose meth trade
By DANIEL BLACKBURN and KAREN VELIE County prosecutors continued Wednesday to cultivate the concept of culpability of a mother-son “criminal enterprise” in the violent slaying of 15-year-old Dystiny Myers, weaving a sordid story of life inside a drug dealing family. Rhonda Maye Wisto and her son, Frank Jacob York, are on trial for the Sept. […]... (Continue Reading)
Federal agency starts investigation of Family Ties and Niesen
Keeping them homeless By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is the eighth in a series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the nonprofits managing the program.) Federal officials launched a probe of Family Ties, the nonprofit that has been at the heart of a CalCoastNews investigative series into […]... (Continue Reading)
Workers say CAPSLO charges needy for donated items, doesn’t track cash
Keeping them homeless By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is the sixth in a series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the nonprofits managing the program. See CAPSLO’s top salary makers at the bottom of this story.) Four women who worked for Community Action Partnership of San Luis […]... (Continue Reading)
Homeless man hassled by CAPSLO, Family Ties
Keeping them homeless By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the nonprofits managing the program. See Social Security’s letter stopping Cliff Anderson’s disability payments and a reported accounting of his funds held by Family Ties at the […]... (Continue Reading)
Family Ties director says she was never on board
Keeping them homeless By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the nonprofits managing the program.) Family Ties, the local nonprofit charged with protecting the financial interests of homeless and indigent people’s assets has a board of directors […]... (Continue Reading)
Homeless money guardian unlicensed
Keeping them homeless By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is the third in a series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the nonprofits managing the program. See Cliff Anderson’s check stubs and several Social Security records at the bottom of this story.) Lisa Niesen serves as the head […]... (Continue Reading)
CAPSLO soaking up nonprofit fund pool
Keeping them homeless By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is the second in a series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the nonprofits managing the program.) For the duration of its 48-year existence, the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO) has skirted public scrutiny by assigning […]... (Continue Reading)
Alleged homeless advocates accused of stealing from the poor
Keeping them homeless By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is the first in a series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the non-profit that manages the program. See Cliff Anderson’s struggles at the bottom of this story.) Cliff Anderson lost his home in 2008 when a fire broke […]... (Continue Reading)
