Former Volunteers of America executive in Louisville accused of $274K embezzlement

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The former chief operating officer of Volunteers of America Mid-States embezzled more than $270,000 before she was fired in 2023 and her case was turned over to law enforcement, according to a new lawsuit and statement from the organization.

Tiffany Cole Hall's alleged actions were discovered in December 2022 when she was accused of diverting funds intended to support "vulnerable individuals and communities" for her own use, according to a statement provided on behalf of the VOA.

The statement follows a lawsuit filed Feb. 14 in Jefferson Circuit Court against Cole Hall by the insurance company for VOA, which is asking for a jury trial and the money to be returned. The lawsuit, filed by attorney James Dilbeck, accuses Cole Hall of stealing $273,768.

Cole Hall disputed those claims in a statement from her attorney, Nick Mudd.

"We are saddened by the allegations made by VOA against Ms. Cole Hall," Mudd said. "She served as an excellent leader for VOA for many years. Ms. Cole Hall disputes the allegations and maintains her innocence to these claims. We will continue to assist with any investigation."

In a statement, VOA said Hall was fired in early 2023 following a short investigation and audit, with the results turned over to the U.S. Attorney's Office. WDRB News couldn't find a criminal case against Hall in court records.

VOA provides addiction treatment, counseling and housing services, as well as residential programs for the elderly and people with disabilities and mental illness.

Until now, VOA had been told by attorneys not to share the information publicly as there is an ongoing federal investigation, according to the statement from Tandem Public Relations, which represents VOA.

"Ms. Hall's alleged actions are in direct violation of the core values of integrity, transparency, and accountability that we uphold at Volunteers of America Mid-States," the statement says. "We want to reassure the public, our stakeholders, and those we serve that we have taken significant steps to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. Our organization has implemented enhanced financial oversight and additional internal controls to safeguard our resources."

The statement referred questions to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky, which has not yet responded to a request for comment emailed Tuesday morning.

Cole-Hall had been been working at The Morton Clinical Director, an intensive outpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.

“The Morton Center’s leadership was recently made aware of allegations of impropriety involving Ms. Hall’s previous workplace," according to a statement provided by the center. "She has been employed with The Morton Center, but has been placed on administrative leave. We are working diligently to ensure nothing improper occurred at our facility, and are working to support our nonprofit partners any way we can."

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