Madigan
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced last week that she has filed an injunction against a Chicago-based company that allegedly illegally solicited donations from the public.
The suit alleges that Youth Action of the Midwest, a long-dissolved charity, was illegally reinstated by Yolanda King in June. King, Warren Jackson, Armatha Kirkwood, Lisa Hendricks, Linda Jabo and Jeanne Taylor were named as its directors.
King renamed the organization We Stop the Killings, and the defendants allegedly solicited donations, falsely claiming the funds would help stop youth violence in the Chicago area.
Youth Action of the Midwest operated in the early 1980s but was dissolved by the secretary of state's office in 1989.
Madigan alleges that by reinstating the organization, the defendants violated the state's General Not For Profit Corporation and Solicitation Acts.
"All too often we see defendants like these preying on unsuspecting people who donate hoping they are giving back and helping those in need," Madigan said. "Before donating your money, ask questions and take time to do research about the charity. Make sure you are satisfied your money is really going to a good cause."
Madigan is seeking to permanently bar the six defendants from managing any charitable organization in the state.