As gymnast Jordan Chiles prepares to represent Team U.S.A. at the Tokyo Olympics, her mother is preparing to report to prison for allegedly stealing more than $1 million dollars.
Gina Chiles was set to check in to prison on July 27, the same day her daughter is expected to compete for Team USA in the Olympic team final. However, the U.S. District Court in Oregon has approved Chiles’ request for a 30-day delay, allowing her to report to federal prison after the Olympic Games.
Chiles’ attorneys asked the court to “allow Mrs. Chiles to support her daughter throughout the Olympics and for some time beyond,” the court filing states, as reported by the OC Register.
“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.”
Chiles will begin serving her 366-day prison sentence for wire fraud on August 26, according to court records. As reported by CBS 42, Gina previously admitted to using her commercial properties management business, Inspire Vision Property Management LLC, to steal from clients 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. She reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on personal expenses.
“(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.
Per the OC Register, 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.”
Gina reportedly defrauded clients that included “retirees and older residents” of a homeowners association, according to the memorandum.
Her biggest victim, Karla Pearlstein, reportedly lost $945,000.
“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous,” she said of Chiles being allowed to delay her prison sentence. “The courts have given her break after break. This is not the first time that they have allowed her to travel or delayed for sentencing because Jordan’s Olympic trials or whatever, but it’s a real disservice to those of us who she victimized. And, I’m not happy about it to be frank with you.”
Gina Chiles was facing a maximum of 20 years in federal prison, but accepted a plea agreement in March 2020 and was sentenced to a little over a year last November.
Gina recently opened up about her legal woes amid her daughter’s quest for Olympic greatness. Appearing on Today with the other moms of the gymnastics women’s team, Gina said Jordan’s journey has been the “most amazing moment as a mom,” she told host Hoda Kotb, PEOPLE reports.
“And so I just am looking at it as not bittersweet, but just sweet, period, that she’s here,” she added.
In 2020, Gina authored the children’s book “Dream Big Little Chick,” which was inspired by her daughter’s struggles with gymnastics.
“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 the book synopsis on Amazon. “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!”
Gina told Portland TV station KOIN that she “came up with a story when Jordan was not feeling gymnastics, it was just kind of a tough time,” she recalled. “So I wanted to base it off of her journey and her story.”
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