New Jersey Sues Sandy Relief Fund; Money diverted to bank accounts of defendants...

[Purveyor]

Source: USA TODAY

Money diverted to bank accounts of defendants, who said they were volunteers.

SPARTA, N.J. — Operators of a Sandy relief group diverted more than $17,000 in donated money to eat out, pay credit card bills and shop online while storm victims received just $1,650 in aid, an ongoing state investigation has found.

The Hurricane Sandy Relief Foundation and its operators, Sparta residents John Sandberg and Christina Terraccino, were the subject of an Asbury Park (N.J.) Press investigation that raised questions about the group's activities.

STORY: N.J. probes Sandy charity

Time is ripe for Sandy scams

On Thursday, the state Attorney General's Office and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs filed a lawsuit against Sandberg, Terraccino and the foundation, citing numerous violations of the state's charities code. A consumer affairs spokesman said criminal charges also are possible.

"This organization told the state it does not pay its executives, but our investigators found a paper trail reflecting thousands of dollars being transferred into the individual defendants' personal bank accounts," Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said in a prepared statement. "Meanwhile, less than 1% of the money raised has allegedly been paid out to help the victims of Sandy."

MORE...

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/22/sandy-new-jersey-charity-lawsuit/1939451/

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[Ninga]

1. Ouch. What scums. Hope they get the book thrown at them....n/t

[Botany]

2. turn 'em over to some local Jersey businessman

Last edited Fri Feb 22, 2013, 04:55 PM - Edit history (1)

[Demeter]

3. Or maybe Jon Corzine

no, on second thought....he'd probably lose it all and whatever is left of the state of NJ too.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

4. This wouldn't happen in Illinois. The investigation, that is. The Illinois AG, unlike the NJ AG,

generally doesn't have an active interest in such investigations. Either that or Illinois doesn't have scam artists who collect money for charitable purposes but who pay out and use very little for charity.

[L0oniX]

5. Stupid fucks. If ya wanna steel money then work for Wall-street or the banksters ...or better yet...

become a congressman and or senator.

[Angry Dragon]

6. Prison for them

[Javaman]

7. The Human Fund. nt

[Walk away]

8. I donated to Occupy Sandy thru their Amazon wedding directory...

and I'm glad I did. The diapers, towels and cleaning supplies I ordered went straight to the people who need them.

[DainBramaged]

9. I'd take a 'Jersey Swing' at them......

[WillyT]

10. K & R !!!

[sulphurdunn]

11. If they did this

they deserve to be added to the reptile exhibit of a Jersey zoo.

[Bohunk68]

12. Something very similar has

occurred here after Irene. An aid group that I had put together was taken over by some persons, who then hired two of their numbers to be in control of the organisation and collect salaries of about $50K each. Also passed was a resolution that 10% of donations coming in would be dedicated to Admin costs. Just recently, the local paper lauded these people but never said a word about salaries or where donations were going. NOT A WORD. As a matter of information, the ones who took over the group were affiliated with one church.