A woman who once worked at the Neil Good Day Center in East Village has surrendered to federal prison for stealing $73,466 in government checks to homeless people.

Charisse Elaine Alexander, 56, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Barry Moskowitz and ordered to pay the full amount of $73,466.43 back to four government agencies.

Ironically, Alexander was herself receiving a monthly Social Security disability check, but her checks were halted as a result of this case, according to court records.

The San Diego Neil Good Day Center is located at 299 17th Street Downtown and is a drop-in space for unsheltered individuals. Visitors can do laundry, store belongings, make phone calls, charge cell phones, use secure bathrooms and meet with social workers.

It is funded by the City of San Diego and operated by nonprofit Father Joe’s Villages. People who use the Day Center also have access to showers at 1501 Imperial Ave. One of its most popular services is as a permanent mailing address for people without an address.

Alexander had access to the center’s mail room. She and her boyfriend “devised a scheme to exploit the access that her position afforded her,” according to documents by the U.S. Attorney’s office. The identity of the boyfriend was not named.

Alexander stole 66 government checks while the scheme went on between April 2021 and January 2023. Thirty-four checks were forged and deposited in Alexander’s bank account; the remaining 32 checks were forged and deposited in the boyfriend’s account, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

The money was withdrawn at ATM locations, with many inside or near casinos, said the U.S. Attorney.

Alexander has paid some restitution back, but the amount was not listed in court records. She signed a document in 2023 authorizing the transfer of money involving funds of 27 victims from her bank account by the Social Security administration so the victims can be re-paid.

Alexander’s release date is June 5, 2025, and she is housed at a federal facility in Victorville.

Alexander turned herself in and confessed to law enforcement. She said her motivation was a gambling addiction along with an addiction to methamphetamine. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Hill described her in court papers as appearing genuinely remorseful.

“Ms. Alexander preyed upon a vulnerable community and her criminal actions deprived them of their vital Social Security benefits,” said Gail Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration.

“This defendant exploited a position of trust and caused financial hardship to those least able to go without their retirement benefits, veteran’s pensions, tax returns, and public aid,” added Ennis.

The government checks stolen include checks written by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Treasury Dept., and the California Franchise Tax Board.

Her attorney, Fernando Ezquerro, asked Moskowitz for one year home confinement. He wrote that Alexander lived mostly in poverty during much of her life and she “recognizes how vulnerable her victims were.”

“The fact that she defrauded and stole from these people will weigh on her heart for the rest of her life,” said Ezquerro.

The U.S. Attorney’s office said they do not know if all of the victims have been contacted regarding the stolen checks. In a press release, they urged that people who did not receive checks between 2021-2023 at the Neil Good Day Center should contact the Social Security Fraud Hotline at (800) 269-0271.

Father Joe’s did not respond to a request for comment.