RICHMOND, Va. — A Richmond woman was sentenced Wednesday to three years in federal prison for wire fraud after prosecutors said she embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars meant to house homeless women and children. Instead, she spent the money on tattoos, airline tickets, and a luxury Caribbean ferry ride.
Kia A. Player, 41, the former director of RVA Sister's Keeper, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Gibney following her November 2025 guilty plea. Her scheme caused $199,163 in actual losses to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the City of Richmond, according to court documents.
RVA Sister's Keeper received more than $995,000 in combined federal and city funding to operate an inclement weather shelter for homeless women and children in the Richmond metropolitan area during 2022 and 2023.
Fake invoices, a fictitious business, and stolen roof repair money
Between August 2022 and April 2023, prosecutors say Player fabricated and falsified at least 35 separate invoices for services that were never fully, or in some cases ever, provided, according to the documents.
Among the most notable: Player submitted at least 21 inflated invoices totaling roughly $170,000 to a company called "VCM Catering Services," which prosecutors called "entirely fictitious."
They said in reality, Player paid a family member, who was a Richmond Public Schools cafeteria manager, approximately $4,000 a month to provide meals to shelter residents. Some of that food was taken from the school's cafeteria and had already been purchased with public funds. In some cases, the food was expired.
Player also fabricated a roof repair invoice and pocketed the reimbursement money from the city even as the shelter's roof continued to leak. She faked invoices for laundry services that were only partially rendered, with residents sometimes receiving used blankets, and submitted invoices for bed bug treatments that were never performed at all.
Meanwhile, prosecutors said roughly 40 homeless residents shared one shower and two bathrooms, none of which were ever upgraded despite claims otherwise.
Fraud proceeds spent on personal luxuries
Court documents show Player funneled at least $68,000 into her own business and personal bank accounts and spent the money on personal expenses, including a tattoo, airline tickets, furniture, shopping at an antiques store, and a luxury Caribbean ferry ride in Miami Beach.
As CBS 6 previously reported, public records showed Player had a documented history of financial difficulties before the City of Richmond awarded her organization nearly $1 million. Prior to submitting her funding application, records showed a federal tax lien, a state tax lien, and a civil judgment in Hanover County had all been issued against her.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia filed criminal charges against Player in October 2025. She pleaded guilty in November, admitting guilt and waiving her right to a trial. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division and the HUD Office of Inspector General.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
