Six people have been accused of stealing more than $1.6 million in donations from a national organization to benefit people with physical disabilities.
The group allegedly created a bogus checking account in the name of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists, a for-profit organization that raises money for artists who’ve lost the use of their arms and hands.
The artists use their feet or mouths to paint art that they then mail out to people who have the choice to send donations in return.
According to DeKalb County prosecutors, seasonal employee Christina Kelly created the account in the name of “C. Kelly DBA MFPA” sometime around 2006 and began stealing checks sent to the agency.
Full-time employee Tujuana Ross joined the scheme, according to the criminal indictment filed last week.
Kelly allegedly would write checks from the fraudulent account to her daughters and seasonal employees, Kiante Smith and Tyleshia Avant, to Ross and her ex-husband Rory Ross, and to Kelly’s ex-husband Glen Kelly.
Prosecutors said the group used the money they collected in the name of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists to take trips to Las Vegas, Puerto Rico and Los Angeles, to make payments on a Florida time-share, and for mortgages, rent and mobile phone bills.
The six were indicted last week on racketeering charges, alleging that they conspired to commit identity fraud, money laundering, theft by taking and theft by receiving.
Christina Kelly and Tujuana Ross were both arrested in 2011 and released days later on $15,000 and $25,000 bonds, respectively, according to jail records.
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