WARREN, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced an agreement on Tuesday with a Warren-based charity and its owner to resolve allegations they used charitable contributions to pay for personal expenses.
Dynamite TKD Kids Foundation and Abbie Taylor agreed to cease charitable solicitations in Ohio and pay $5,000 to DeWine's office. The organization provided scholarships for underprivileged students in the state of Ohio and surrounding states to attend taekwondo classes at Taylor's husband's taekwondo school.
Taylor and her husband allegedly used the organization's debit card to pay for groceries, vacations and personal expenses.
"Taking advantage of charitable donors' good faith for personal gain is unacceptable," DeWine said. "It is our ongoing mission to make sure these organizations are shut down."
DeWine's Charitable Law Section alleged the foundation awarded very few scholarships in more than three years of operation and all the students attended Taylor's husband's school. Taylor also allegedly failed to manage the foundation's accounts by not keeping appropriate records.
Under the terms of an assurance of discontinuance, Taylor agreed to pay $5,000 to DeWine's office and agreed to dissolve Dynamite TKD Kids Foundation. Taylor also agreed not to hold any position or participate in soliciting donations for any Ohio charitable organizations.
Charity reaches agreement with Ohio AG
