14 indicted on charges of using children to solicit donations for fake charity
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - State authorities said 14 people were arrested after an investigation uncovered a Georgia charity that touted itself as "sowing America’s future" was actually a multistate street gang exploiting children for profit.
This past fall, the Charities Division of the Secretary of State’s Office said it uncovered the so-called charity may have had ties to gang activity and brought their findings to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Human Trafficking Group.
The Secretary of State’s office said alleged gang members were coercing children to go door to ask for donations for the unlicensed charity called Georgia Peach Youth Club of America Inc.
"Using children to wheedle money from generous Georgians to finance gang activity is unforgivable," Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was quoted as saying in a release. "I’m proud that the skills of our professional investigators sparked what became a multiagency crackdown and will mean protecting children and donors from a horrible scam."
One man, who wished to stay anonymous, told FOX 5 a child with the organization came to his door last year.
He said the boy looked to be about 10 years old and was nervous. The man said he was not interested in buying anything and closed the door.
"A couple minutes later, it just clicked in my brain and something didn't seem right. So I thought I should go check on him," he said.
He went outside and saw the boy talking to his neighbor.
"I went outside and by this time it was starting to get dark. I asked are you ok? You seem scared. I said who are you with. He said he was here with another boy his age," he said.
The man said he called Milton Police because he didn't want the child to be alone when it got dark.
Tuesday, a Cherokee County grand jury returned indictments against alleged members of the Nine Trey Bloods, a subset of the United Blood Nation which is a well-known criminal street gang out of Los Angeles, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
The investigation, which involved the Secretary of State’s Office, the GBI, Department of Labor, Attorney General’s Office, and multiple federal agencies, led to 14 suspects on charges including human trafficking, gang activity, money laundering, racketeering, and charity fraud.
"We look forward to presenting this case in court," Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr wrote in a tweet following the Secretary of State’s announcement Tuesday. "We appreciate [the GBI] for their outstanding work building this case [and the Secretary of State’s Office]’s Charities Division for the referral and investigative support."
"As an investigator, it is gratifying for our team members to participate in this investigation with the professional agencies involved and contribute to safeguarding children and the kind people who contribute to legitimate charities," said Frances Watson, head of the 24-investigator team in the Secretary of State’s office. "We often team up with the GBI and other investigative agencies, and these indictments show how that cooperation pays off for Georgians."
"Top priorities for the GBI are to conduct criminal street gang, human trafficking, & crimes against children investigations," the GBI tweeted Tuesday. "This case is an example of our commitment to working with the Georgia Attorney General’s Office to conduct cases that lead to successful prosecutions."
Those indicted includes:
• Jamainne Charles Hall was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, four counts of violation of street gang terrorism and prevention act, five counts of money laundering, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 186 years.
• Miguel J. Baez was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, four counts of violation of street gang terrorism and prevention act, five counts of money laundering, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 186 years.
• Jule W. Huston was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, five counts of money laundering, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 126 years.
• Ronald John Crowe was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, five counts of money laundering, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 126 years.
• Robert Peter Blackwood was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, four counts of violation of street gang terrorism and prevention act, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 161 years.
• Romaine Matthew Roberts was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 101 years.
• Kavon Keith Thompson was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 101 years.
• Kiya A. Jefferson was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 101 years.
• Dominique Provost was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 101 years.
• Kiva Viola Clarke was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 101 years.
• Isaiah Ruben Cordero was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 101 years.
• Nathan James Jackson was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 101 years.
• Raheem Icarus Popley Carvey was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 101 years.
• Aaron Yusef Abdullah was indicted on charges of racketeering, four counts of human trafficking, and one count of charity fraud. If convicted on all counts, they could be sentenced to up to 101 years.
No word on if any have been booked into jail on those charges, if any have retained a lawyer, or when their next court appearance is scheduled.
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