BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A senior leader with Bellingham’s Unity Village, a temporary tiny home community for the homeless, has been charged with theft for allegedly taking over $75,000 from the organization for personal use.

KING 5 News reports Jim Peterson was charged with Theft and booked into the Whatcom County Jail on Friday.

Unity Village includes 22 tiny homes and is run by the nonprofit HomesNOW.

Peterson was allegedly withdrawing money from the nonprofit’s checking account, and allegedly spent more than $12,000 at fast-food chains, another $3,700 at multiple coffee establishments, and a total of at least $3,500 between Silver Reef Casino and Skagit Casino.

Police said surveillance footage obtained from some of the establishments confirmed it was Peterson making the purchases.

Police started investigating Peterson in September after the HomesNOW co-founder, Doug Gustafson, started noticing something was off with the books.

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