Karma Box Project Has Managed to Stumble Again

Screen shot from Mike’s Reno Report where a Karma Box employee writes ‘the phone’ has been reset by Karma Box leadership. Why would the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department allow ‘evidence’ to be reset. Shouldn’t the phone have been kept as evidence.

At what point does Washoe County stop pretending everything is fine?

Here we go again. Another mess tied to Karma Box Project, and somehow Washoe County still can’t seem to connect the dots. How many stumbles does one contractor get before the county finally admits the obvious: something is very, very wrong here. Matthew Grimsley, a Karma Box Project employee works at the Safe Camp at the Nevada Cares Campus was arrested for domestic battery for the third time.

And this time, there’s no Dana Searcy or Eric Brown left to blame.
This one lands squarely on the shoulders of newly installed County Manager Kate Thomas.

Let’s take a quick trip down Karma Box Memory Lane …

Remember 2023? When Karma Box “forgot” to file its tax returns and lost its nonprofit status? According to county discussion at the time, Washoe County continued paying him for months while the organization wasn’t legally a nonprofit. Only after a long, painful stretch did then–Community Services Director Dana Searcy swoop in to clean up the paperwork and get the status restored.

Then came May 2024 — the month multiple local women publicly raised concerns and allegations about Denton’s conduct during the renewal of his contract. And yet, what happened?
Garcia. Herman. Hill. Andriola, all four female commissioners voted to renew Denton’s contract.

Girl code? Not that day.

Commissioner Mike Clark was the only individuals asking to delay the contract until a full scale investigation was completed.

And those giddy high-fives in the hallway from Denton and Searcy after the meeting? Gross then. Gross now. And the county still refuses to release the hallway video despite requests going back to May 2024. Transparency? Apparently optional.

And now … another Karma Box disaster.

Reports are flying again — and this time Mike’s Reno Report posted a screenshot showing “the phone” was turned back into Karma Box leadership.
Karma Box Leadership?
What leadership?

We've watched this pattern for years. A stumble. A scramble. A spin job from the propaganda princesses at the county who slap a bow on dysfunction and call it “community care” from Karma Box Project.

Meanwhile, taxpayers fund the circus.

Nice compensation for the Executive Director of Karma Box Project, funded by taxpayers.

Why does Washoe County keep protecting Denton?

Is it because he visited a few safe camps in other cities?
Or maybe because former manager Eric Brown couldn’t find any other willing provider? (That whisper has circled county hallways more times than we can count.)

Either way, the county keeps insisting Karma Box Project is the best option. We urge you to read Mike’s Reno Report who interviewed Marissa Grimsley, the alleged victim of domestic violence. Mike has all the screen shots of messages between Grimsley and Denton.

Time for accountability, taxpayers must demand it.

If the county refuses to act, then taxpayers should take this straight to the Karma Box Board.

According to their most recent 990 (filed Oct. 12, 2024), the officers are (per ProPublica):

• John Taylor — President

• Sarah Scattini — Secretary, RE/MAX Prime Properties

• John Firestone — Treasurer, Life Change Center Executive Director

• Par Tolles — Member, CEO of Tolles Development

• Dian Vanderwell — Member, Sparks City Councilmember, Ward 2

• Rich Stolz — Member, Wedco Inc. - and past Chair of Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows

These are respected community members. Their names and reputations are attached to Karma Box Project. They should be expected to answer for the organization’s problems if the county won’t.

Grant Denton reinvents himself in every city like a traveling showman selling miracle cures. And just like a carnival barker, his charm works — right up until people realize they’ve been sold smoke and mirrors.

But instead of learning from the past, Washoe County keeps buying tickets to the show.

Will this latest incident be swept under the rug like all the others?
Or will the county finally stop protecting Denton and demand accountability?

We’ll give you one guess.

But the public doesn’t have to wait for them. Taxpayers can — and should — demand answers, demand oversight, and demand that this time, finally, something changes.

Because Washoe County deserves better than a circus with no ringmaster and no rules.