I found this on Robert Carey's FB page:
Misappropriation of Funds by Losang Tenpa/Sangha Jewels/Dharma Bridge:
In 2011, Kelsang Oden of NKT kindly conceptualized and founded Dharma Bridge Foundation together with Losang Tenpa aka Duke aka Tenzin Sungrab aka Darrick R Okkelberg. To ensure the integrity of the foundation, one monk from each of the following monasteries Shar Gaden, Serpom, Segyu, Phelgyeling and Samten Choling were invited to become co-administrators of Dharma Bridge Foundation, and to represent their respective monasteries.
Dharma Bridge Foundation had a successful start to their online fundraising campaign. They raised good amounts. Because the project involved a nun from NKT, many students from NKT supported the project on the basis of their trust in her. NKT people were indeed generous and kind towards these monasteries that follow Trijang Rinpoche's lineage. Dharma Bridge Fb page is open but the last post was on July 5, 2013 by Kelsang Oden.
Initially Shar Gaden and Serpom Monasteries in South India were receiving funds from Dharma Bridge on a regular basis. However, during a particular campaign to raise funds for books for Serpom Monastery, the monks of Serpom contacted Kelsang Oden and told her they had not received any funds. Suspicious, Kelsang Oden checked the accounts and noticed that donations had been coming in more slowly than usual and eventually dwindled to nothing. Kelsang Oden grew even more suspicious and began her own investigations. She discovered that Losang Tenpa had started Sangha Jewels and had asked Dharma Bridge sponsors to support this new initiative instead of Dharma Bridge. Kelsang Oden really wanted to help these monasteries and since Losang Tenpa was living in Shar Gaden monastery, she thought he would be the perfect choice. Being a monk, Losang Tenpa should be honest and above suspicion. Unbeknownst to Kelsang Oden, Losang Tenpa has had 17 arrest and conviction records accumulated over the last two decades.
When Kelsang Oden confronted Losang Tenpa, he was rude to her and told her to mind her own business, that Sangha Jewel was his personal venture and none of her business. In fact Losang Tenpa told the public, it was formed by Shar Gaden monastery when in fact it was not. This was said to gain the trust of the NKT organization and the public. Distressed by his reaction, Kelsang Oden confided in a few trusted friends. Since Sangha Jewels claimed to be raising funds for monasteries and to wish to benefit the Shugden monks, Kelsang Oden closed Dharma Bridge without a fuss. As long as the aim of raising funds for Shugdenpas was achieved, she had no objections to the method.
Ever since Sangha Jewels was exposed recently, Losang Tenpa’s secretive establishment of Sangha Jewels now makes sense. Losang Tenpa saw the success of Dharma Bridge and how he could use social media to get easy money. However he had no control over Dharma Bridge’s accounts because they were in the safe hands of Kelsang Oden and with honest sangha representatives from all the monasteries, he would not be able to persuade them to join his scheme to embezzle funds. Hence, Losang Tenpa saw a need to start another organisation called Sangha Jewels, so he could have full control of the accounts and willing accomplices such as Abby Citron who has nine arrests and convictions for peddling narcotics with minors. Losang Tenpa had no friends and sponsors when he entered Shar Gaden. He was poor. Dharma Bridge through Kelsang Oden connected him to a wealthy pool of sponsors in the NKT and among the general public.
Losang Tenpa exploited the trusting monks of Shar Gaden, their lack of technical knowledge and poor English to create a cosy scheme for himself where on one side he appears as the hero of Shugden monasteries raising funds for young monks, their education and also sick monks. From behind the scenes however, he embezzled a portion of the donations given for his own personal gain and pleasure. He uses this money to travel the world, purchase the latest technological gadgets and fills his bank accounts. He refuses to show his four PayPal accounts which he shrewdly shares with Abby Citron.
When some monks investigated the overlap in foundations and purposes, they were told a different story. According to Losang Tenpa, Kelsang Oden could no longer be contacted and despite numerous requests for the funds to be transferred to Serpom, Kelsang Oden ignored all these requests. After much difficulty in tracking her down, Kelsang Oden said she was having personal financial problems and would not be able to transfer any funds raised to the monastery. According to Losang Tenpa, he was concerned and on that basis, wanted to continue helping the monasteries so he established Sangha Jewels. Kelsang Oden was not useful to his schemes any longer obviously. Criminals have a tendency to be good at forging stories to cover their tracks as in this case to continue to embezzle. Up till today, Losang Tenpa refuses to show his accounts to the monastery, donors and recipients. Obviously the four hidden PayPal accounts hold the key to his lies.
Evidently Losang Tenpa has for many years now been giving false information to the public so he can swindle them of their hard-earned cash. Under the assumption that NKT’s Board of Directors support his project, many students have been donating to Sangha Jewels in the hopes of supporting the monasteries and monks. As we know now, this is not the case.
Currently, Losang Tenpa has absconded to North India and still refuses to reveal the accounts. His partner in Sangha Jewels, Abby Citron attends protests against the ban of Shugden in her bedroom slippers, not shouting the usual slogans by NKT, and takes frequent breaks to smoke her cigarettes openly. She is reported as not doing much at the protests and just hangs around brochures in a leisurely manner to those who pass by. Of course she has to go to these protests in order to keep herself and Losang Tenpa in NKT's good books. What remains to be seen is whether Abby is part of the plot with Losang Tenpa or she was a victim like Kelsang Oden.
Since Sangha Jewels run by Losang Tenpa and Abby Citron procured many donations from the pubic, they are liable to be honest and post accounts to the public, donors and the monastery. Losang Tenpa claims he has shown everything to the monastery, but the monastic officials deny this and thereby disassociated themselves from Sangha Jewels aka Losang Tenpa.
The Sangha Jewels website had the pictures of prominent lamas and monks with 'testimonials' claiming Sangha Jewels was so beneficial. Of course this was without permission. In fact the head of Pelgye Ling Monastery Gen Jangchub when shown the testimonial of the abbot of his monastery was shocked, disappointed and upset. Losang Tenpa aka Darrick Read Okkelberg had not obtained permission to use such a statement. The statements on the now defunct Sangha Jewels website was used to trick the public and it worked while it lasted. Now Losang Tenpa has closed down his Facebook pages, the many Sangha Jewels Facebook pages have disappeared from the internet landscape. He had numerous Facebook pages created in order to find new and varied markets to get donations for Sangha Jewels. Cheating and using the monks is something that is beyond common decency and to top it off, these monks are refugees.
One interesting item to note is when Losang Tenpa came to the monastery prior to his ordination, he would bring beer and alcohol into his room and drink himself into a stupor daily with so many young and senior monks in view. So much disrespect. He would remain in bed all day and drink within the sacred confines of a temple. He would be high or drunk and not bathe for days scattering his room in the monastery with empty beer cans. The monks on many occasions implored him to not break the rules which he did not listen to. He was asked to leave until one of the senior monks stepped in and gave him a chance, which he now takes advantage of by embezzling from the monastery. Alcohol for personal consumption is strictly prohibited in Buddhist monasteries throughout the world. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso the spiritual head of NKT has clearly stated he has no association with Sangha Jewels and Losang Tenpa. If you wish to affirm this, you can write into NKT's authorities.
Just slightly off the beaten track here, but Losang Tenpa an ordained monk has been on dating sites. Leaving his picture, sexual preference as bisexual and in the About Me section he writes his dream is to find TRUE LOVE. You may say this was the past, but he last posted not more than four months ago and from Shar Gaden Monastery. What is going on? Why is this bogus monk looking for true love on a dating site and proclaiming his bisexuality?
Due to the exposure of his embezzlement, Losang Tenpa was seen crying and begging others to believe his innocence, saying his life is ruined and reputation destroyed. But his reputation as a honest law abiding citizen was destroyed by his 17 convicted arrests and jailings long ago. There is a reason people's arrest records are available to the public. That is to protect the public from crimininals who cannot seem to reform. When this scandal was first exposed many people posted their support for Losang Tenpa online and believed he was genuine. But the support dwindled as the full scam was revealed. He portrayed himself as some hero in the refugee Tibetan monasteries raising funds for monks and marketed himself well. Tens of thousands of dollars were deposited into his four PayPal accounts with Abby Citron. We hope NKT will investigate Abby Citron as it is a blemish to their good works. We have not lost our confidence in Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and the NKT sangha and luckily this was finally caught. No one should support this scheme. All monies must go directly to the monasteries and be managed by the monastic administrators themselves. This was a heavy price to pay and learn.
We do hope Losang Tenpa will get a proper job, stop drinking and live an honest life. A life of crime and 17 convictions is too much. Would you trust your daughter with him? Would you open a business with a criminal convicted 17 times? According to the Buddhist text on monastic conduct, the four major root vows are not stealing, lying about attainments, sexual interaction and killing. When any of these are committed the monk is disrobed. Well in our opinion Darrick R. Okkelberg should remove his monk's robes, repent and return to lay life and get a job. Earn an honest living for once. Don't you get tired of your deception because we are? Perhaps finally go into a long spiritual retreat and purify. But Losang Tenpa aka Darrick should never be involved in handling monies, donations and monetary transactions ever again on behalf on anyone.
All findings and investigations will be reported to authorities in the various states he has lived in in the USA, India and Nepal. We hope everyone understands that no one should cheat anyone. I was a donor and am shocked how 'sangha' can do this. I am very angry and I will continue to find more evidence and report these people. If the monks further cooperate with Tenpa, it shows duplicity. I guess there are errant monks as well as good ones. If Tenpa has any shred of humanity left, he should go far away from the monks and leave them alone. More than an apology is necessary already to the monks, donors and many others. Return our money. When you raise money from the public, be transparent. Losang Tenpa aka Darrick R. Okkelberg aka Sangha Jewels should never abuse and use the monks and fool the public with the robes he wears. He has left a scar on those who wear the saffron robes genuinely.-Carol
For more pictures and information:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1489560561326969&id=100008191187849