Ward 8 Nonprofit Accused of Misusing $250K in Violence Prevention Funds

by Stacy M. BrownJune 20, 2025

A nonprofit organization tasked with helping the District — and Ward 8 in particular — curb gun violence is now at the center of a lawsuit alleging it instead used public funds for personal gain.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced that his office had filed suit against Women in H.E.E.L.S. (Healing, Elevation, Empowerment, Love, Support), Inc., and its former CEO Ikeia Hardy for misusing more than $250,000 in government funds. The money had been awarded to the organization under the city’s Cure the Streets initiative, a community-based program designed to reduce gun violence through conflict mediation and targeted intervention.

“Women in H.E.E.L.S. and Hardy misused grant funds intended to keep District residents safe — taking advantage of taxpayers and undermining gun violence prevention efforts in Congress Heights,” Schwalb said. “Now, we are seeking to recover the misappropriated funds and ensure that they are redirected toward public safety efforts in the District.”

The organization was awarded up to $814,000 annually in fiscal years 2022 and 2023 to operate the Cure the Streets site in Congress Heights. According to the lawsuit filed in DC Superior Court, Hardy allegedly transferred at least $57,302.48 in nonprofit grant funds into her personal bank account and failed to return more than $213,000 in unspent or undocumented grant money following the termination of WIH’s agreement.

The complaint also alleges that WIH violated its grant agreement by paying at least $3,200 to a company owned by one of its own employees and that Hardy failed in her fiduciary duties, allowing the organization to lose both its federal tax-exempt and DC nonprofit status.

After discovering financial irregularities in 2023, the Office of the Attorney General said it moved quickly to suspend and then terminate WIH’s grant. The city later issued subpoenas and obtained a court order in July 2024, requiring WIH and Hardy to produce financial records. According to the complaint, neither has complied, and no funds have been returned.

The city is now seeking to recover the full amount of misused and unreturned grant money and to bar Hardy from holding leadership positions in any DC-based nonprofit.

The case is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Leonor Miranda and Cara Spencer under the supervision of Adam Gitlin, chief of the Antitrust and Nonprofit Section.

Noting the “ongoing legal matter,” Hardy replied to The Informer, saying she is “unable to comment in detail at this time.”

“However, I can say the allegations are misleading,” Hardy continued. “I stand firmly by my work in the field of violence interruption and remain committed to the communities I serve. I look forward to clearing my name in the near future.”

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