WASHINGTON STATE: Attorney General Ferguson files lawsuit against veterans charity for misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars

Nov 20, 2019

Manager spent money meant for veteran wages, housing repairs on personal debt, bail

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced a lawsuit against non-profit organization Veterans Independent Enterprises of Washington (VIEW) and its operations manager, Rosemary Hibbler. Ferguson asserts Hibbler spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of the organization’s money for personal gain, including ATM withdrawals at casinos and her own personal bills. Meanwhile, VIEW failed to pay for repairs to veteran housing, wages to its veteran employees, and, at one point, laid off its entire staff and asked them to “volunteer” their labor.

After the lawsuit was filed, the judge granted Ferguson’s request for appointment of an interim receiver — someone who will take over management of the organization, including its bank accounts, operations and properties, until permanent and effective leadership can step in. The receiver, Daniel Bugbee, is a veteran himself and has years of experience with Washington receiverships.

November 18, 2019December 30, 2019

Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection Uncovers Political Action Committee Engaged in Deceptive Telemarketing Regarding Alleged Donations to Local Volunteer Firefighters

Residents in Montgomery County have been receiving deceptive telemarketing solicitations from a fictitious business seeking donations to benefit local volunteer firefighters. The County’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) has entered into a settlement agreement with the organization making the deceptive calls but is still urging residents to be aware that the scam has occurred and could be duplicated by others. The settlement includes provisions for scammed residents to receive refunds.

August 26, 2019December 30, 2019

ILLINOIS – Attorney General Raoul: Judge Finds Lombard Veterans Charity Misappropriated Funds and Judge Enters Order Prohibiting Charity & Owners from Operating in Illinois

Chicago — Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a Cook County judge entered an order prohibiting the Lombard-based charity Veterans Christian Network, Inc. (VCN) and its founders, Todd and Priscilla Olshefski, from engaging in future charitable activities in Illinois. The order resolves a lawsuit Raoul’s office filed this spring against VCN and the Olshefskis over violations of Illinois charity laws.

August 19, 2019August 19, 2019

MARYLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, VIRGINIA, & WEST VIRGINIA

Four states combined efforts in a multistate investigation. Here are Virginia’s press release and documents.

ATTORNEY GENERAL HERRING SHUTS DOWN DECEPTIVE ORGANIZATION THAT EXPLOITED SERVICEMEMBERS

~ Multistate settlement includes $10,000 in payments and will shut down Hearts 2 Heroes, permanently ban owners from engaging in charitable solicitations ~

RICHMOND(August 14, 2019) – Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced today that he has led a coalition of four states to shut down a deceptive organization that exploited goodwill towards those in the military and misused funds that were supposed to benefit servicemembers serving overseas. The multistate settlement involves Hearts 2 Heroes Inc., a for-profit company doing business as Active Duty Support Services Inc., which made door-to-door sales of “care packages” ostensibly to be sent to service members overseas. Last summer, Attorney General Herring filed suit against Hearts 2 Heroesalleging that the company violated the Virginia Consumer Protection Act and Virginia’s Solicitation of Contributions law by misrepresenting the nature of the business and the care packages purchased, and by misusing donated funds. The lawsuit was announced as part of “Operation Donate with Honor”, a nationwide sweep to crackdown on fraudulent charities that exploit the name of America’s veteran community to solicit donations. As part of the settlement, the business has been shut down and the owners will be permanently banned from engaging in charitable solicitations or working for a charitable organization.

July 24, 2019July 24, 2019

CALIFORNIA – Attorney General Becerra Announces Lawsuit Against Move America Forward for Operating a Misleading Solicitations Scheme

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today filed a lawsuit against Move America Forward, a nonprofit that sends care packages to combat troops. The lawsuit alleges that Move America Forward’s marketing practices misled donors about the nonprofit’s affiliations and charitable outreach. Further, the lawsuit alleges that the charity used pictures and quotes of veterans without permission in order to seek donations. The lawsuit also claims Move America Forward violated Internal Revenue Service rules by supporting a political action committee and using charitable donations to support at least two political campaigns.