Assets of Fraudulent Charity Frozen

Three different organizations have had their assets frozen following charges of illegally soliciting charitable donations.

The Texas Highway Patrol Association, the Texas Highway Patrol Museum, THPA Services, Inc. and several THPA officials are currently under an asset freeze and a temporary restraining order. The groups are charged with illegally soliciting charitable donations and falsely claiming that donors’ contributions would be used to benefit the families of fallen Texas police officers.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office has found that the groups claimed to provide death benefits to the families of slain law enforcement officers, but few ever received the financial assistance. Investigators instead found that the donations were being used for personal gain, such as meals, in-house pet care, entertainment, and unauthorized travel.

The groups are also charged with falsely claiming that the THPA is a tax-exempt charitable organization, but is considered as a nonprofit business league, and not a charitable organization.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Highway Patrol Division is not associated with the THPA. Defendants in this case also face civil penalties under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act for claiming that the organizations were linked to the State DPS.