Georgia prosecutors say 14 people are now charged after allegedly soliciting children to sell candy and other groceries under the guise of a fake children’s charity to raise money for “criminal street gang activities.”
The group’s bogus charity, called Georgia Peach Youth Club of America Inc., allegedly “is a work and leisure program allegedly directed against gangs, gun violence and drugs,” according to an indictment unsealed this week. But the money raised through its operations was instead directed to the Nine Trey Bloods, a subgroup of the Los Angeles-based United Blood Nation gang, according to Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.
“We will indict gang members who try to exploit our children to promote their criminal ventures,” Carr said in a statement. “We will not tolerate it and look forward to bringing our case to court.”
Georgia Peach Youth Club is a bogus charity, prosecutors claim.
(Georgia Peach Youth Club FB)
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The indictment, brought back by a grand jury in Cherokee County, a suburb northwest of Atlanta, where prosecutors say the children were knocked on doors, does not mention how much money the children allegedly raised through the sales.
It names 14 people on charges including human trafficking, extortion, street criminal gangs, charity fraud and money laundering.
The indictment describes the Georgia Peach Youth Club (GPYC) as “a registered corporation that existed in the state of Georgia” and “operated in numerous counties.”
“The GPYC’s adult carers recruited children from deprived areas of Atlanta through posters, word of mouth and a website that advertised prizes and trips for the children,” it says. “These prizes and rewards should be given to children for selling items such as candy and other foods.”
However, the minors who “solicited donations and sales were not rewarded or received all awards and travel as promised” because the defendants “kept money for their own personal financial gain and for promoting the Nine Trey Bloods street gang.” It adds.
Georgia’s attorney general says the money raised through the charity’s operations was used for gang activities. (Google Maps)
(Google Maps)
“These children were transported to numerous counties in Georgia in vans,” the indictment said. “Some underage children have been dropped off for hours without adult supervision to raise funds.”
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The system that emerged in 2017, according to prosecutors, began to disintegrate when a team of investigators and attorneys from the Georgia Secretary of State – who oversees charities – discovered that children were being forced to go door-to-door asking for donations . The agency referred the case to law enforcement, who continued the investigation.
“It is unforgivable to use children to poach money from generous Georgians to fund gang activities,” Foreign Secretary Brad Raffensperger said in a statement. “I am proud that the skills of our professional investigators have led to an inter-agency raid and will help protect children and donors from horrific fraud.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
