Miami Herald - Friday, April 21, 2000
Brad Bennett

This time, the Broward State Attorney's Office and Fort Lauderdale police detectives are jointly investigating a charge that Think Life's former director, Georgia Foster, improperly handled federal funds that were supposed to provide housing for people infected with the HIV virus or who had AIDS.

Foster also is being investigated by the State Attorney's Office for misappropriating more than $10,000 in money given to the agency by Broward County.

"We have received a second allegation against Miss Foster involving the misappropriation of money and real property," said Ron Ishoy, a spokesman for the Broward state attorney's office.

Ishoy would not say exactly when the investigation was opened, or how much money Foster is accused of misappropriating.

Foster, who resigned from the agency in September, could not be reached for comment.

Think Life's current president and chief executive officer, A. Maurice Maddox, said the new investigation revolves around a small apartment complex at 2030 Dewey St. in Hollywood.

The agency purchased the complex nearly three years ago for $220,000, according to Broward County property records. The complex was to have housed people with AIDS.

STILL VACANT

Think Life was supposed to renovate the three small apartment buildings using federal funds from Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS, a division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Maddox said.

But today the buildings sit vacant, boarded up and littered with debris.

Broken glass is scattered throughout a small courtyard, and several shopping carts rest under dirty water in a covered swimming pool.

Some neighbors said they have seen what appear to be drug dealers and vagrants in and around the buildings.

Each building has what appears to be a fresh coat of tan paint. New roof shingles adorn the roofs of two buildings, while another building's roof is without shingles.

Maddox said some work was done to fix up the property, but "some of the work that was done was destroyed by vagrants."

Maddox was quick to point out he was not directing the agency when the work was done, and said new people have since joined the agency's board.

The new board members, who came to Think Life in September when Foster resigned, have begun to make changes at the agency, he said.

"We are a brand new agency, basically," Maddox said, adding that the agency has re-created its entire accounting department.

"We are in compliance with all of our grants. Anything that's in reference to this investigation is involving actions that took place prior to September."

Angelo Castillo, the county's director of Human Services, agreed that Think Life is making strides.

MISMANAGEMENT

"All of the players are changed," Castillo said. "It's under new management. The organization is in the process of redefining itself."

But up until last year, Foster and another set of board members were at the helm.

Foster started the agency 10 years ago with $4,000 in lottery winnings following a cousin's death from AIDS.

The agency grew rapidly with government contracts and fund-raising, opening a day-care center and offering housing along with other services.

But the agency's success may have led to its downfall.

Some people who are familiar with the agency say Foster's poor management -- rather than any malicious intent -- caused the agency's problems.

Increasingly strapped, Think Life failed to pay its employees, and some left.

One social worker told The Herald last year she quit after two paydays went by without checks.

Last year, a county audit questioned the agency's billing and referred questions about its spending to the state attorney's office.

In July, Foster was accused of using an $11,000 county grant that was set aside for computer purchases to make its payroll.

In September, Foster officially stepped down as executive director following allegations the agency falsified $28,000 in receipts for audiovisual and computer equipment that was never purchased. That matter was turned over to the state attorney's office.

AUDITS UNAVAILABLE

Recent audits of Think Life by Broward County and the city of Fort Lauderdale, which provide funding for the agency, have been turned over to the State Attorney's Office.

As of last fall, the agency had an annual contract worth about $1.5 million with the county, and served about 150 people affected by the AIDS virus.

Because it is the largest city in Broward, Fort Lauderdale administers about $250,000 of Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS funds each year to the agency for the entire county, Maddox said.

Neither the county nor the city would make its audits available to The Herald on Thursday.

"The document requested is part of an active criminal investigation being performed by the State Attorney's Office and is a non-final audit report," states a letter to The Herald from Julius Delisio, an assistant auditor for the city of Fort Lauderdale, who denied The Herald's written request.

Dismayed at Think Life's financial problems, County Commissioner John Rodstrom last year voted for the county to stop funding the agency, but he was outvoted by other commissioners who supported it.

"They weren't spending the money on the clients," Rodstrom said on Thursday. "We don't know what they were spending it on."
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