A Marietta man has been charged after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said his Atlanta-based nonprofit was scamming the criminal justice system.
“On Thursday, February 25, 2021, Derek ‘Al’ Sneed, age 39, was arrested in Marietta and charged with one felony count of false statements and writings,” GBI said in a press release.
The Cobb County District Attorney’s office asked GBI to investigate whether Sneed was falsifying documents related to court-mandated community service work in exchange for cash.
“Through the investigation, it was determined that Sneed, founder of the non-profit organization Alliance of Dreams, was selling community service hour certifications in exchange for cash,” GBI said. “After payment of money, Sneed would provide fraudulent documents stating the defendant had performed their court ordered community service at Alliance of Dreams when in fact they had not.”
Alliance of Dreams Inc.’s Facebook page advertises itself as a “transitional housing program providing jobs and ministry services for men that want self-sufficiency,” and says that it is “teaching them how to live, not just survive.”
Sneed’s LinkedIn profile describes him as a “hands-on, key component of Alliance of Dreams Transitional Home.”
“By leading our highly capable staff we are aggressively making a dent in the homeless population of Metro Atlanta,” it says.
GBI said that the Marietta Police Department assisted in the arrest, and that Sneed was booked into the Cobb County Jail. Additional charges are pending, and the case is still open.
GBI spokesman Bahan Rich told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Sneed had been running the scam for at least nine months, and that there are more defendants.
“We believe there are multiple defendants, but we do not know at this time how many there are,” he reportedly said.
Sneed reportedly posted a $16,720 bond, and was released from Cobb County Jail on Friday morning.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to dabroscareports@gmail.com.