GOSHEN – A settlement has
been reached between the State Attorney General’s Office and the
Wounded Warriors Foundation of Orange County, Inc., for illegally collecting
thousands of dollars in raffle tickets without every conducting a raffle.
The organization must immediately dissolve and repay the $4,200 it raised in restitution to defrauded consumers.
The local foundation – not affiliated with the national Wounded Warrior Project – sold raffle tickets at $50 apiece to members of the public claiming that the raffle grand prize was a new 2016 Ford Focus. The group also claimed that all proceeds would go toward purchasing mobility and lift equipment for veterans who had suffered severe injuries while serving in the US armed forces.
The attorney general began an investigation into the group and its founder, Sean McCarthy, after people who purchased raffle tickets came forward. The investigation revealed that despite claiming it was a charitable organization supporting wounded vet and soliciting donations from the public, it was not a legitimate not-for-profit and none of the raffle ticket proceeds went to supporting wounded veterans.
The settlement agreement requires Wounded Warriors Foundation of Orange County, Inc. to either immediately dissolve or properly register as a not-for-profit corporation with the Attorney General’s Office.
McCarthy paid $4,200 in victim restitution and must also pay $250 in civil penalties and a $5,000 bond.
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