BY NORAH SHEPPARD-HUTCHINS
Daily Post Staff Writer
After over a year of internal investigations, the mental health nonprofit Caminar has sued its former chief financial officer, claiming he embezzled close to $100,000.
The suit says former CFO Richard Williams created a fake company called “CA REsource Consulting,” a vendor contact named “Michael Davis,” a fake taxpayer identification form known as a W-9 and banking information for Caminar to make payments, according to the lawsuit filed Oct. 2.
The address associated with the fake company was actually the same address of a company Williams owns, Mission Holdings, to which he sent the nearly $100,000, according to the lawsuit.
Williams fabricated emails, documents and work products to make these fictitious entities seem real, the lawsuit states. He also created a phone number for “Michael Davis,” the suit said.
Caminar is a mental health and substance use treatment service located at 375 Cambridge Ave. in Palo Alto. Caminar regularly receives allocations from the Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department. In 2023, San Mateo County awarded Caminar a $12.9 million contract to provide services at its Cordilleras Mental Health Rehabilitation Center at 200 Edmonds Road outside Redwood City.
The Post previously reached out to Williams via LinkedIn to get his side of the story but did not receive a response. He has since deleted his profile.
District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said a criminal case has not been sent to him yet, but Redwood City is preparing it.
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