A Dollar To Care Charity Busted For Using Donations For Liquor And Movies – Guardian Of Valor

Dayton Daily News reporter Josh Sweigart, reports that a charity local to Dayton, who also had a presence on facebook, misused donations meant for Incarcerated Soldiers.

Cari Johnson, the owner of the organization, signed an agreement with the attorney general’s office to cease operations. She will also pay a $20,000 fine, half of which the attorney general will distribute to charity. Half will pay for the cost of the investigation.

“As we did in this case, we will continue to go after those who misuse contributions given to support our veterans,” Attorney General Mike DeWine said.

Despite not registering as a nonprofit with the IRS or with the state as a charity, A Dollar to Care organized several events including its “First Annual Patriotic Freedom Ride” in 2012.

The charity’s Facebook page lists its mission: “Our major goal is to be able to help in the event of a financial burden such as food, travel expenses to and from their incarcerated warrior, warriors phone calls home, etc. Our core belief is no military member or their family should ever have to struggle to obtain basic necessities, especially when children are involved.”

A complaint received by the attorney general’s office and obtained by the Dayton Daily News says it’s from the attorney of a soldier the charity claimed to support. It says Johnson was using the names of that soldier and others to raise money, but “not a single soldier’s famliy has stepped up and acknowledged that they have received any support.”

The charity did distribute turkeys, presents and inmate phone cards one holiday season, the agreement between Johnson and the state says. But the charity generally failed to use donations it received for its stated purposes.

The agreement says Johnson will stop operating as a charity, shut down any websites or social media it has and donate any remaining assets to a property charity serving veterans. Failing to comply could mean a $50,000 fine.

Johnson could not be reached for comment Friday. The last post on A Dollar to Care’s facebook page from February said the charity hadn’t operated since November, “given my own personal issues.”

Courtesy Dayton Daily News

We found the Facebook page, and they have not posted since mid February, and all comments and wall posts are turned off. A Dollar To Care Facebook Page

Also a video from  Channel 2 News, Cari claims it was not her who misused the funds.

Woman accused in charity scam speaks

A Dollar To Care Charity Busted For Using Donations For Liquor And Movies was last modified: February 2nd, 2015 by Bulldog1