Indiana cracks down on scam charities
Mary sends us a link to Courthouse News Service which reports that the Indiana attorney general is going after three veteran charities;
Indiana sued Sandbox Veterans of America, Catholic Veterans of Indiana, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Inc., in Allen County Court.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Inc. is a “sham group” that is not affiliated with the “well-known and respected” Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the attorney general says.
The state also sued the four people who incorporated the groups: Adam Matthew Silvani (Sandbox), Olivia Jean Locke aka Olivia Jean Silvani (Catholic Veterans), Roger Anthony Locke (Catholic Veterans), and Donald Shoppe (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans), all of Fort Wayne.
The defendants have solicited charitable contributions since June 2011, but “the contributions were not given to veterans as represented,” the state says in its Sept. 19 complaint.
Apparently, the sham IAVA, Inc. even used Paul Rieckhoff’s name in it’s solicitation materials. I don’t like IAVA or Rieckhoff, but I hate thieves even more. Their “Crowdrise” fund raising site even linked to the real IAVA’s site.
Category: Phony Vet Charities
What a bunch of dirtballs. They collected aggressively outside a Wal Mart last month and police were called. They were Sandbox but when that didn’t work out, they changed their name to Catholic Veterans of Fort Wayne. I guess Catholic Veterans had a better ring to it in Fort Wayne than Muslim Veterans, Buddhist Veterans, or Atheist Veterans. By the way, the archdiocese there had calls from folks asking about the org but knew nothing about the organization, according to a local news report.
Cockroaches, meet sunshine.
I suspect the folks here had a little something to do with this, even if indirectly. If ” the archdiocese there had calls,” it means that people have learned to take a look before they donate.
I wonder if Phildo and All-Points Logistics are involved with any of these groups?
It is about time. Now we have to stay on their ass or the sentences handed out will be nonsense. Far be it from me to criticize a religious organization, I don’t believe they knew nothing about it.