Charity bingo plays a massive role in many US communities. Games are run for non profit and aid many worthy US charity groups and local areas. Charity bingo organizations provide substantial funding that goes in some of the most needy areas of the US. Sometimes these groups fall fowl of predators looking to profit.
Four men and a woman from New Haven Indiana, face several felony charges that include theft and unlawful charity gaming, after an investigation found evidence that the group were involved in skimming an estimated $1,00,00 from funds that were supposed to be donated to charity.
Investigators believe that the group have been taking the charity money for over five years, stealing approximately $1,000,000. The group had been running a regular bingo games in New Haven for the purposes of raising money for charity.
Lana Brooks, 55, Kenneth Brooks, 64, Steven Bouse, 60, James Schultz, 68, and 67-year-old John Gahan all face charges relating to the theft of the charity funds
It is reported that two members of the group received weekly payments of $1000 in cash each Monday from the groups finance committee. One such payment was intercepted by investigators and led to an admission by one of the group that they were paid “to run bingo”, which is illegal according to state law.
All five members of the group have since been released on their own recognizance.
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