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Ohio: Children’s Charity and Its Telemarketer Accused of Bilking over $4.2 Million from Ohio Donors

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced a lawsuit against a purported children’s charity, its operators, and its fundraiser for allegedly defrauding Ohio donors and misleading them about how their money would be spent.

According to the lawsuit, Cops for Kids Inc. (also known as Ohio Cops for Kids) collected over $4.2 million in donations from Ohio residents between 2005 and 2015 but spent less than two percent of it on charitable programming, instead paying the vast majority — over $3.34 million — to its for-profit solicitor, Telcom Enterprises, and an additional $802,662 on salaries and overhead. Continue reading “Ohio: Children’s Charity and Its Telemarketer Accused of Bilking over $4.2 Million from Ohio Donors”

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Michigan Attorney General Shuts Down Deceptive National Veterans Charity

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced a settlement between 24 states and VietNow National Headquarters, Inc., an Illinois nonprofit corporation, resulting in the organization’s dissolution.

“This settlement rids the country of a veterans charity that deceived donors, helped very few veterans, and largely served to enrich its professional fundraisers. Sadly, deceptive veterans’ charities remain a problem. Donors should remain vigilant,” said Schuette.  “I also commend my fellow Attorneys General for their cooperation in achieving this resolution, and their continuing cooperation as we work together to root out other bad actors from the charitable sector.” Continue reading “Michigan Attorney General Shuts Down Deceptive National Veterans Charity”

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Illinois Attorney General Leads Multistate Effort to Dissolve Fraudulent National Charity

Charity Claimed to Raise Money to Help Veterans, But Operated No Programs

Attorney General Lisa Madigan today announced a settlement led by Illinois, California, Michigan and Ohio and joined by 20 other states to dissolve VietNow National Headquarters Inc. (VietNow), an alleged non-profit corporation headquartered in Rockford, Ill. that falsely claimed to help veterans overcome joblessness and post-traumatic stress disorder. Continue reading “Illinois Attorney General Leads Multistate Effort to Dissolve Fraudulent National Charity”

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Turnbull Foundation

Declaratory judgment action brought by Attorney General to construe the Sarah Little Turnbull Post-Mortem Trust and the Sarah Little Turnbull Foundation successfully ended ongoing disputes and litigation among board members and trustees that were diverting trust assets from the grantor’s intent to benefit disadvantaged women and enhance public knowledge in the area of design. Continue reading “Turnbull Foundation”

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Statement From New York Attorney General On Jail Sentencing Of Former Head Of National Vietnam Veterans Foundation

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman issued the following statement on the federal prison sentence of John Thomas Burch, Jr., president and founder of the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation:

“Mr. Burch duped generous donors and took advantage of military veterans to line his own pockets. This jail sentencing should serve as a reminder that exploiting donors and those in need have serious consequences—charitable funds cannot serve as the personal piggy bank for non-profit executives. We will continue to work with our partners in government to crackdown on charitable fraud and ensure that generous donations made by New Yorkers are put to good use.” Continue reading “Statement From New York Attorney General On Jail Sentencing Of Former Head Of National Vietnam Veterans Foundation”