New Jersey Sues Sandy Relief Fund; Money diverted to bank accounts of defendants... [View all]
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.
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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."
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Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/22/sandy-new-jersey-charity-lawsuit/1939451/
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