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A former Richmond homeless shelter operator on Tuesday pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in connection with federal funds she and her organization received from the city.

Federal prosecutors said Kia Player, who was vice president of RVA Sisters Keeper, had embezzled nearly $200,000 in federal grant money held by the city and awarded to the organization for the purpose of establishing an inclement weather shelter for homeless women.

The Times-Dispatch previously reported that, at the request of then-Mayor Levar Stoney, the City Council voted in 2022 to allocate nearly $1 million in federal funding toward the 40-bed, seasonal walk-up shelter. Those funds, which came to the city from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

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