Gloria Chiles, mother of U.S. Olympic team gymnast Jordan Chiles, has asked a U.S. District Court to delay her beginning a 366-day prison sentence for wire fraud so she can provide “support and guidance” to her daughter through the Olympic Games, according to a court document obtained by the Southern California News Group.
Chiles was scheduled to report to the Bureau of Prisons by 2 p.m. on July 27, just hours after Jordan Chiles is expected to compete for Team USA in the Olympic team final.
SCNG reported last week that Chiles agreed to the sentence as part of a plea agreement in U.S. District Court in Oregon, according to a previously unreported letter detailing the agreement filed with the court. Chiles must also pay more than $1.2 million in restitution, according to court documents.
While Chiles agreed to the plea agreement in March 2020 and was sentenced last November, her arrest, sentence, and the details of her crimes had not previously been reported.
Chiles ran Inspire Vision Property Management LLC, a commercial properties management business, according to court documents. Between 2014 and 2018, Chiles “devised and intended to devise a material scheme to defraud clients of lnspire Vision and to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises,” according to multiple court filings by the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Chiles could have faced a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Instead, she agreed to the plea agreement, pleading guilty to one charge of wire fraud.
“(Chiles) diverted those client funds, deposited the funds into bank accounts owned and controlled by her and used the funds for her own personal use. Over the course of defendant’s scheme, she diverted more than $1 million in client funds,” according to court documents.
A government sentencing memorandum stated that while Chiles “spent the bulk of her ill-gotten gains propping up her businesses, it was far from the only way she spent the money. She traveled extensively—she often dodged concerned calls from clients by claiming she was on the road—and spent at least $300,000 on personal expenses. Those included expenditures of more than $53,000 at retail stores and personal service providers, $166,000 in investments in her children’s businesses, and nearly $40,000 in untraceable cash outlays.”
The government sentencing memorandum also details how Chiles, a minister, defrauded clients, which included a homeowners association comprised of “retirees and older residents.” The association lost “at least $121,614.36 to defendant’s machinations in less than a year,” according to the memorandum.
In a court filing Tuesday, Chiles’ attorneys asked the court to “allow Mrs. Chiles to support her daughter throughout the Olympics and for some time beyond.
“This would give Mrs. Chiles’ daughter at least some additional time to have her mother’s emotional support and guidance during such a monumental time in her young life.”
Gina Chiles was featured prominently in lengthy profiles recently in a number of publications including the New York Times, Washington Post and ClarkCountyToday.com in Washington State. Chiles and her husband Timothy attended the Olympic Trials last month in St. Louis where they were shown during NBC’s broadcasts wearing “Team Chick” t-shirts with a quote from their daughter on the back: “Believe in the power of your dreams.” Chick is Jordan Chiles’ nickname.
Gina and Timothy Chiles are both listed as senior pastors at His Word Worship Center in Vancouver, Washington.
Under “Giving” on the church’s website is a page titled “Welcome to Kingdom Building” where potential donors can contribute to the church via credit cards, PayPal or Cash App. The site also has an address where checks can be mailed.
“God has a financial plan for His Church,” the page reads. “He works by plans and has a plan for everything. He had a plan when he created the earth and humans. He had a relationship between humans and Himself. He has a plan for the family. He has a plan of salvation and the work of the Church. He has a plan for the financing of the work He has ordered the Church to perform.”
Jordan Chiles, who has committed to UCLA, finished third in the all-around at the Trials, second on the uneven bars and fourth on the balance beam.
“It’s been a crazy ride,” Gina Chiles told ClarkCountyToday.com recently.
After graduating from Prairie High School in Brush Prairie, Washington, 25 miles north of Portland, in 2019, Jordan relocated to Spring, Texas, near Houston, to train with Olympic and World champion Simone Biles. Gina Chiles also moved to Texas to be with her daughter. Timothy Chiles remained in Washington.
Gina Chiles authored “Dream Big Little Chick,” a children’s book in 2020.
” After trying many different things Little Chick decides that she wants to become a high-flying gymnast and quickly sets her focus on the Animal Olympics,” according to a synopsis of the book on its Amazon page. “She is so excited about it, so she decides to share her dream with her friends at school. Sadly, her friends make fun of her and she starts to doubt that her dream is possible. Momma Chick comforts her Little Chick and encourages her to keep trying and not give up. Little Chick focuses and works hard to achieve her hope of going to the Animal Olympics. With the help of her family, she believes in the power of her dreams! This book encourages kids to dream big and not allow other’s words or actions get in the way- no matter what those dreams may be!”
The book, Gina Chiles told KOIN, a Portland TV station this week, was inspired by her daughter’s struggles with gymnastics.
“I had really specific ideas,” Chiles told the station. “Definitely wanted a chick because Jordan’s nickname is ‘Chick’ and I wanted her to have Afro puffs because that’s Jordan, like, period.”
“I came up with a story when Jordan was not feeling gymnastics, it was just kind of a tough time,” Gina recalled. “So I wanted to base it off of her journey and her story.”
Source: Orange County Register
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