Moorhead man sentenced to probation for his role in theft of state COVID-19 funds

BURLEIGH CO., N.D. (KVRR) — A Moorhead man is sentenced for his role in a fraud case involving his wife’s charity, Faith4Hope.

In a plea agreement, Charles Dixon pleaded guilty to one count of theft of property.  A second theft of property count was dismissed.

The judge sentenced Dixon to three years of supervised probation and over $35,000 in restitution.

The cases of Dixon and his wife Faith Shields-Dixon were tried in Bismarck-Mandan since the couple was accused of misappropriating North Dakota state-issued funds.

On October 20, Faith pleaded guilty to three counts of felony theft.

She was accused of moving thousands of dollars of state grant money from her charity, Faith4Hope, to personal and family accounts.

The grants were intended for after-school programs to help students who had been affected by COVID-19 school closures.

Dixon was approved for $350,000 for the Faith4Hope after-school program.

Her sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 20.

Prosecutors will ask for an 11-month prison sentence, plus more than $100,000 in restitution.