Former Allegheny East NAACP leader charged in theft of $194K

An anonymous letter sent to police two years ago culminated Tuesday in theft charges against Kenneth Huston, president of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny East chapters of the NAACP.

Huston, 54, of Monroeville, used nearly $194,000 of money from the Allegheny East chapter, including $165,000 that was either funneled from the state chapter’s account or was meant to be deposited within the state chapter’s account, officials said.

The money was allegedly spent on motel rooms, Uber and Lyft rides, cars and car repairs, and utility payments at a Greensburg church where Huston was pastor at the time.

According to the grand jury presentment that led to the charges, $5,000 of the money allegedly stolen by Huston had been earmarked for scholarships that students never received.

Joel Sansone, who is representing Huston, declined comment, noting that his firm is in the process of conducting its own investigation.

Representatives with the NAACP could not immediately be reached.

The NAACP website lists Huston as president of the Allegheny East chapter, though he is not listed as the current state president.

According to Allegheny County Police Lt. Jason Binder, the investigation into Huston’s spending began in July 2020 when the department received an anonymous letter alleging misuse of funds by Huston. Police took the complaint to the District Attorney’s Office, and information gleaned during the investigation was presented to a grand jury.

The 11-month grand jury investigation culminated in findings that Binder said “comport with the findings of the law enforcement investigation.”

The theft began in 2019 when Huston was president of both the Allegheny East chapter of the NAACP and as well as the Pennsylvania Chapter, according to the presentment.

Two Gateway High School students awarded $500 each in scholarship money contacted Allegheny East officials in early 2020 and indicated they’d never received their funds. Huston allegedly later told the students their awards had been reduced to $250 apiece.

When one student reached out to Huston again to note she’d not received the money, he allegedly told her that because she missed the dinner at which the scholarships were awarded, she “had no right to ask about the money.” The grand jury noted that both students missed the award dinner because they were at college at the time.

The presentment alleges that Huston used his position to push other officers off of the Allegheny East board by telling them they did not live within the chapter’s coverage area. Documents turned up by the investigation list the names of people purportedly filling board seats, though upon questioning, several of the individuals named said they’d never held those positions. Some, according to the presentment, said they were never involved with the NAACP.

Further bank records showed donations of varying amounts deposited into the chapter’s bank accounts that were then spent on personal expenses. One $3,000 donation was used at BJ’s Spotless Carwash, Target, Ruby’s Cleaners, Lowe’s, Five Below, Uber, Lyft, and the East Exit Motel, according to the presentment.

In June 2020, Huston allegedly solicited donations from the A. Philip Randolph Institute for help with the operating expenses of the state NAACP chapter. According to the presentment, Huston asked for it to be made payable to the Allegheny East chapter, as he’d only recently become president of the state chapter.

Huston was elected president of the state chapter of the NAACP in late 2019.

The institute cut a check for $15,000 to be used for operating expenses, according to the presentment. Within a month, more than $10,000 of that money had been spent by Huston at various retailers.

Similar spending continued through the end of 2020 and early 2021, according to the presentment. A $50,000 donation in November 2020 was meant to go to the state NAACP chapter but “Huston deposited the check into the Allegheny East account and used the majority of it on personal expenses,” the grand jury wrote.

All told, according to the presentment, $165,013 meant for the state account was funneled into the Allegheny East account.

In addition, Huston allegedly made unauthorized expenditures using the state chapter’s accounts, too. According to the presentment, Huston spent more than $23,000 from the chapter’s operating expenses account at Comcast, Sprint and restaurants. Through the state grant account, he withdrew or wrote himself checks for more than $6,000.

Police said Huston is suspected of stealing $193,892 of the NAACP’s funds for personal spending.

Huston is charged with four counts of access device fraud and two counts of theft — all felonies. He was taken into custody Tuesday and released on his own recognizance. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 1.