COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine filed a lawsuit Friday against an unregistered charitable trust and its principals for alleged violations of Ohio's Charitable Trust Act and Charitable Organizations Act.
The lawsuit against Rebecca Drobnick, her two children, Mindy and Timothy Drobnick, and American Heroes Alliance alleges that the defendants failed to register a charitable trust with the state, misled donors into thinking their donations would help veterans, and the families of veterans and misappropriated more than $150,000 of charitable donations for personal use.
"Unfortunately, there are those who seek personal profit by pocketing money raised in the name of supporting our troops and veterans," DeWine said in a statement.
"The Ohio attorney general's office has targeted fraudulent veterans' charities and solicitors, and this case shows we will continue to do so when people try to take advantage support for our veterans."
In 2009, Rebecca Drobnick started Operation Homefront of Ohio Inc., a local chapter of the national organization Operation Homefront Inc. After allegedly using the charity's bank account for personal expenses, the national organization moved to revoke her chapter affiliation agreement.
At that time, Drobnick started American Heroes Alliance, which she also allegedly treated like her own bank account.
Following the termination of the chapter affiliation agreement for Operation Homefront of Ohio Inc., Drobnick allegedly refused to turn over any of the assets to the national organization.
A court granted a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop her from disposing of the charitable assets.