A former Kirkland resident was sentenced Monday in Seattle’s U.S. District Court for embezzling more than $112,000 from Kirkland-based charity Ronald McDonald Holiday Cruise (RMHHC).

Randall Morrison, 50, who now resides in Tallahassee, Fla., is the former treasurer of the non-profit organization, which solicits volunteers and charitable donations for the Ronald McDonald House, and organizes activities, gatherings, and events throughout the year for medically fragile children and their families. Morrison embezzled $112,000 from the organization between 2006-2009

In addition to prison time, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart also sentenced Morrison to three years of supervised release and $112,220 in restitution for wire fraud.

At sentencing, Robart said Morrison showed “complete indifference to the law or a continuation of criminal behavior to benefit himself.”

The concerns emerged from a financial saga that dates to 2009 and resulted in a federal grand-jury indictment being issued Aug. 25 against Morrison. The indictment accuses him of two counts of wire fraud relating to his work as treasurer of the RMH Holiday Cruise, which was started in 1982 and operates with a volunteer staff from Juanita.

According to case records, Morrison was hired as the treasurer for RMHHC in 2005. In August 2006, he moved to Ohio, but remained as the treasurer for RMHHC, making his reports to the non-profit’s board by email and telephone.

Beginning in September 2006, Morrison began writing checks and wiring funds from the RMHHC accounts that appeared to be for the legitimate business of RMHHC, but were in actuality diverting charitable funds for Morrison’s personal uses.

Morrison concealed the thefts by falsifying reports that he emailed to the RMHHC board in Kirkland. RMHCC was first alerted to the theft in early 2009, when Morrison’s employer in Ohio contacted RMHHC, because of suspected embezzlement at that company. Morrison was terminated from both the Ohio employer and RMHHC in early 2009.

At sentencing prosecutors asked that Morrison get significant prison time, writing to the court: “ … Morrison exploited the trust of good-hearted people, undermined the charitable organization to the point of near collapse, and stole from the families of sick and, in some cases, dying children. As aptly noted by one of the victim statements, ‘The damage goes beyond the initial loss of funds.’ Because of Randall Morrison’s embezzlement, the organization has discontinued all but one of its annual events, and now teeters on the brink of ceasing operations altogether.”

The case was investigated by the Kirkland Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Masada.

More information

The RMH Holiday Cruise may be contacted at 9805 N.E. 116th St., Mailbox 7414, Kirkland, WA 98034; online at rmhholidaycruise.org or by telephone at 425-820-6586.