A former executive director of a youth boxing charity in Oakland, California, diverted a $50,000 donation presented during Stephen Curry and
Ayesha Curry's appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show into his personal bank account.
asserted
director → divert → account
Howard Solomon, also known as Solomon Howard, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison in September 2025 after pleading guilty to mail fraud and tax evasion.
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Solomon → know → fraud
The donation was made to the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) by a television studio in connection with a December 2019 episode featuring the Currys on Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways.
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donation → make → Giveaways
Prosecutors said Solomon embezzled at least $549,000 from the organisation between 2017 and 2021, using charitable funds for personal expenses.
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Solomon → say → expenses
He was also ordered to repay the charity and the Internal Revenue Service.
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He → order → charity
How the $50,000 donation was diverted
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donation → divert → ?
According to the US Department of Justice, EOBA received the $50,000 donation in October 2019.
uncertain
EOBA → accord → October
The contribution was connected to the Currys' appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in December that year, during a segment called Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways.
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contribution → connect → Giveaways
During the segment, Stephen and Ayesha Curry delivered various gifts to the organisation, including a $50,000 cheque from the show.
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Curry → deliver → show
Solomon deposited the donation into a personal bank account without informing the charity's board members or staff.
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Solomon → deposit → members
The donation came from the television studio, not necessarily from the Currys personally.
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donation → come → Currys
The Justice Department identified the studio as the donor and linked the gift to the couple's appearance on the programme.
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Department → identify → programme
Solomon served as executive director of the East Oakland Boxing Association from approximately late 2016 until 2021.
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Solomon → serve → 2021
His responsibilities included overseeing the organisation's daily operations, fundraising, programmes, staff and finances.
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responsibilities → include → operations
Prosecutors said he used this access to transfer organisational funds into accounts he controlled at other financial institutions.
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he → say → institutions
He also deposited charitable contributions into personal and business accounts without the organisation's authorisation.
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He → deposit → authorisation
He embezzled at least $549,000 from the charity
The $50,000 donation was only one part of a wider embezzlement scheme.
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donation → embezzle → scheme
Solomon admitted to taking at least $549,000 from EOBA over several years.
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Solomon → admit → years
Prosecutors said he used the money for personal expenses unrelated to his role at the organisation.
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he → say → organisation
These included a Ford Explorer, a vacation rental and purchases made through Amazon.
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These → include → Amazon
The Justice Department said Solomon used his position of trust to divert money intended for an organisation serving children and families in East Oakland.
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Solomon → say → Oakland
The funds were meant to support the charity's youth programmes rather than his personal spending.
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funds → mean → spending
The charity provides boxing lessons and educational support
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charity → provide → lessons
The East Oakland Boxing Association is a non-profit organisation that serves children and families in East Oakland, California.
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that → serve → Oakland
Its programmes include after-school and summer activities, boxing lessons, coaching, tutoring, literacy support and internship opportunities for teenagers.
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programmes → include → teenagers
Federal prosecutors said the embezzlement deprived young people, particularly those from low-income families, of resources intended to support their development.
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embezzlement → say → development
The case raised concerns about the impact of financial misconduct on community organisations that rely on donations to provide services.
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that → raise → services
Solomon also evaded federal taxes
The case involved tax evasion in addition to the embezzlement.
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case → evade → embezzlement
Solomon admitted that he failed to report the money he took from EOBA as income on his tax returns.
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he → admit → returns
He also misstated expenses associated with two businesses that he claimed had incurred losses.
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he → misstate → losses
According to the Justice Department, his actions resulted in an estimated $287,185 in unpaid federal taxes.
uncertain
actions → accord → taxes
The tax offence formed a separate part of the case, and the court ordered restitution to the Internal Revenue Service as well as to the charity.
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court → form → charity
He was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison
Solomon pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion on April 23, 2025.
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Solomon → sentence → April
On September 24, 2025, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers sentenced him to 27 months in federal prison.
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Rogers → sentence → prison
He was also ordered to pay $549,132.74 in restitution to the East Oakland Boxing Association and $287,185 to the Internal Revenue Service.
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He → order → Service
The court imposed an additional three years of supervised release and ordered him to begin serving his prison sentence on October 30, 2025.
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court → impose → October
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