An animal rescue organization that launched a prohibited GoFundme campaign after the detraction of its head office in the devastating fire of Palisades was sentenced to a fine of $ 12,000 by the State and ordered to stop fundraising immediately.
In April, the California Ministry of Justice filed a complaint to stop and the desire of animals, noting that the recording of the charitable trust was revoked in 2016, expressly prohibiting it from soliciting donations.
State files show that the revocation stems from AWFA’s failure to file financial reports and to pay for renewal fees for the 2009, 2012 and 2013 fiscal years.
The founder and operator of the AWFA, Toni Eakes, who also comes out of Tonja Eakes, told Southern California News Group in February that the deadly fire of the Palisades had emptied her rental house in Bloc 900 on Hartzell Street in Pacific Palisades, who also served as the operation of the Rescue animal.
In a brief telephone interview this week, Eakes denied engaging in an illegal fundraising.
“We do not collect funds and just try to help animals,” said Eakes, adding that she had hired a lawyer and intends to challenge the order of transfer and desity.
The Ministry of Justice alleges that if the AWFA is prohibited from soliciting charitable donations, it continues to search for funds on its website and the falsely allegedly exempt contributions are exempt from tax.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the internal Revenue Service revoked the AWFA tax exemption status so as not to deposit the IRS 990 financial forms required.
Tuesday, after Scng inquired about the order of transfer and desire, AWFA rubbed the reference to its status of erroneous tax exemption from its website.
AWFA collected $ 19,000 through a Gofundme account earlier this year for the benefit of its headquarters ravaged by fires.
GoFundme suddenly closed the campaign in February in the middle of complaints, and it is not known if the money was reimbursed to the donors.
The members of a Facebook group for the defense of animals opposed to AFWA filed complaints against Eakes with Gofundme and the Ministry of Justice.
“This measure taken by the Office of the State of the GA is a huge step to preserve the integrity of legally recorded non -profit organizations which devote their lives to rescue,” said Sherri Harvey, member of the group. “This is a culmination of many people and incredible non -profit organizations who fight to protect donors from fraud.”
According to Eakes, the AWFA has merged with another non -profit organization with a distinct IRS employment number, allowing the AWFA to legally solicit charitable donations.
The IRS recordings obtained by SCNG show that Eakes is also president of the organization Love All Animals, which obtained the status of federal tax exemption in 2022. That same year, Love All Animals was reported to IRS 235,700 $ in income from adoption costs and subsidies, with expenses totaling $ 214,858.
However, like AWFA, Love All Animals, which is also a rescue organization, was declared offender and prohibited by the Ministry of Justice in 2024 to solicit and pay charging donations after having omitted to submit annual reports and to renew the costs.
The State sentenced to a fine of $ 8,000 AWFA for solicitation and received donations each year after the revocation of its registration, extending from 2016 to 2024.
AWFA was estimated $ 3,000 to request funds on its website, via Gofundme and during adoption events. He was also ordered to pay $ 1,000 for having to provide accounting for charity assets.
Penalties will continue to accumulate at $ 100 per day for each day that AWFA continues to operate.
In addition, the State has ordered the AWFA to provide documents related to each request for a complaint and reimbursement, as well as accounts of the funds received and spent since 2015.
California Daily Newspapers
