Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Former Winston-Salem Councilman indicted by federal grand jury

Derwin Montgomery, seen here in 2018 at the Forsyth Democratic headquarters in Winston-Salem, was indicted by a federal grand jury for wire fraud and embezzlement. PAUL GARBER/WFDD (FILE)

Former Winston-Salem Council member and State House Representative Derwin Montgomery has been indicted by a federal grand jury for wire fraud and embezzlement.

The 15-count indictment against Derwin Montgomery was handed down in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina on Tuesday.

It alleges that Montgomery embezzled nearly $26,299 from the Bethesda Center for the Homeless where he served as executive director. He is also accused of charging the nonprofit for travel and lodging associated with his city council role, claiming it was related to staff training.

These personal expenses include a vacation to Cancun, Mexico, stays at luxury hotels in Los Angeles, California, Charleston, South Carolina, and Washington D.C., and expenses at a gentleman's club in Nevada.

He's also accused of charging the Bethesda Center for the personal use of a GMC Yukon Denali valued at nearly $55,000 saying it was for shelter operations.

The indictment also alleges that Montgomery charged the Bethesda Center for expenses related to marketing and media services performed by Uplift Media LLC, a company with which he's affiliated, even though the organization already received those services free of charge as part of a charitable contribution.

Federal officials issued an arrest warrant for Montgomery, and recommended bail in the amount of $100,000 and that he surrender his passport. It's unclear when the case will be scheduled for a hearing in U.S. District Court.

Montgomery also currently serves as a pastor at First Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said that Montgomery allegedly embezzled nearly $24,000 from the Bethesda Center for the Homeless. The correct amount is $26,299.

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate