The Prince George’s County Council has demanded that an Upper Marlboro-based nonprofit return at least $134,000 in taxpayer money.
The call follows a recent audit of the organization, Judge Me Now Literacy & STEAM Resources, that found the funds were transferred to a personal bank account over several months in 2024.
The organization received more than $341,000 in county funding between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024, according to the audit, which was released in early August. The funding accounted for the majority of the organization’s revenue during that period.
“We noted several matters involving the Prince George’s County grants to Judge Me Now Literacy & STEAM Resources, Inc., that led us to question whether County grant and sponsorship funds were used solely for their intended purpose,” acting County Auditor Larry Whitehurst Jr. wrote in a memo included in the audit.
State records show that Judge Me Now Literacy & STEAM Resources was established in December 2020 by Takia and Marcus Toomer.
The pair set up a similar organization one year earlier called JudgeMeNow Literacy and STREAM Services, but that business has been forfeited and isn’t in good standing with the state.
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Their new organization, which is the subject of the county’s recent audit, is a nonprofit with a stated mission of “combating illiteracy” and providing children, especially those in underserved areas, access to a variety of after-school and summer programs.
The organization’s website says it serves families in D.C., Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
After finding that the organization blended taxpayer funding and personal finances, lacked adequate board oversight and independence, failed to spend a $40,000 grant meant for a passenger van, and did not comply with federal regulations, among other findings, auditors recommended that the county no longer award funding to the organization.
Perhaps most striking, auditors found that Takia Toomer used personal bank accounts, including one titled to her daughter, to support the organization.
The audit states that Takia Toomer couldn’t identify which account activity pertained to business and which was personal.
Auditors noted that “it is generally not appropriate to use a personal bank account for business purposes,” because the practice can lead to inaccurate records and the use of business money for nonbusiness expenses.
Takia Toomer, according to the audit, said that the $134,000 in taxpayer money she transferred to her personal account was for nonprofit expenses she covered with her personal credit cards.
Auditors noted that her transaction history on one of her credit cards “revealed several potentially non-business related/questionable” purchases.
These included nearly $600 for a charge labeled “TM*Childish Gambino Los Angeles CA,” $74 at Victoria’s Secret and nearly $2,300 at what appears to be the Ocean Prime seafood restaurant in D.C.
An unnamed spokesperson for the organization responded to The Banner’s email on Thursday but didn’t provide comment or answer questions about the audit’s findings.
In addition to calling for the return of $134,000, the council has requested that Judge Me Now Literacy & STEAM Resources return any other grant money the organization received when it was out of compliance with the terms of its award, including spending the money for personal use.
The council, though, didn’t specify an amount in a letter outlining the demand.
It’s unclear, based on the recent audit and a statement from the County Council, whether the organization has complied with the council’s demands.
Associate Administrator Karen Zavakos outlined the council’s demands in a June 9 letter to the organization’s executive director, Shantae Hawkins.
As of Sunday, the council’s grants division hadn’t received the $134,000 it demanded the organization return, Grants Administrator Cheryl Taylor wrote in an email.
Takia Toomer and her organization made news in 2024 for partnering with council member Krystal Oriadha to provide turkeys to families during Thanksgiving and for hosting a gift-giving event a few weeks later for Christmas.
Three council members — Oriadha, Edward Burroughs and former council member Mel Franklin — awarded grants to the organization between 2023 and 2024.
But support for Judge Me Now Literacy & STEAM Resources has since declined.
A statement from the County Council said Oriadha, now the chair, requested that the organization undergo an audit and review of its finances and compliance with grant rules. The statement doesn’t mention when Oriadha made this request.
The organization was placed on a “Do Not Fund” list during the audit review, according to the statement.
Judge Me Now Literacy & STEAM Resources didn’t receive funding through the County Council’s two primary grant programs in fiscal year 2025.
As of Friday, the council hadn’t released lists of fiscal year 2026 recipients.
Taylor, the council’s grants administrator, wrote in an email that she expects the list for at least one of the grant programs to be posted online by Tuesday.
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