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Attorney general warns of charity scam | www.kirotv.com
MILL CREEK, Wash.
A couple taking donations for a children's charity are accused of keeping most of the money for themselves.
Today, the state attorney general issued a warning about the illegal scam.
Investigators say this is the third time theyve caught the pair collecting cash and telling lies about where its going.
According to the complaint, Amy and Mike Gannon sat outside retail centers and told shoppers they were taking donations for disabled children and for their charity, Kures4kids.
Authorities say the Gannons collected tens of thousands of dollars but only gave away about 5 percent of the money. The rest went into their pockets and to pay employees.
"They were really nice. Sweet, the woman was really sweet," said Joyce Grubbe who lived next to the couple in Mill Creek.
"It's wrong. They should be put in jail. They can't get away with that. It's terrible," she said.
We tried to find the couple at another address but a woman who was home refused to open the door.
We also checked the business address listed on their website and found a mailbox store.
"You're giving your hard earned money away. You want it to go to someplace where it's actually going to be needed," said Bernie Schamber, who donates regularly to local charities.
Authorities say the Gannons have done this before.
The state filed a lawsuit this year claiming the couple scammed a charity raising money for autism awareness.
Schamber says this is the season of giving--not stealing.
"That's really an emotional thing, people who steal or whatever from children, people who are hungry," she said.
The state attorney general says he put out the warning now because this is the time of year when people give the most to charities.
MILL CREEK, Wash.
A couple taking donations for a children's charity are accused of keeping most of the money for themselves.
Today, the state attorney general issued a warning about the illegal scam.
Investigators say this is the third time theyve caught the pair collecting cash and telling lies about where its going.
According to the complaint, Amy and Mike Gannon sat outside retail centers and told shoppers they were taking donations for disabled children and for their charity, Kures4kids.
Authorities say the Gannons collected tens of thousands of dollars but only gave away about 5 percent of the money. The rest went into their pockets and to pay employees.
"They were really nice. Sweet, the woman was really sweet," said Joyce Grubbe who lived next to the couple in Mill Creek.
"It's wrong. They should be put in jail. They can't get away with that. It's terrible," she said.
We tried to find the couple at another address but a woman who was home refused to open the door.
We also checked the business address listed on their website and found a mailbox store.
"You're giving your hard earned money away. You want it to go to someplace where it's actually going to be needed," said Bernie Schamber, who donates regularly to local charities.
Authorities say the Gannons have done this before.
The state filed a lawsuit this year claiming the couple scammed a charity raising money for autism awareness.
Schamber says this is the season of giving--not stealing.
"That's really an emotional thing, people who steal or whatever from children, people who are hungry," she said.
The state attorney general says he put out the warning now because this is the time of year when people give the most to charities.
