FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 410-576-7009
BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, and Secretary of State, Susan C. Lee, announced today that a
Cease and Desist Order has been issued against DMV Futures, Inc., a Baltimore-based youth charity, and its president, Marcus Smith, requiring that the Organization, Smith, and all of DMV Futures, Inc.’s officers, agents, and directors to cease all charitable soliciting, including door-to-door solicitations.
The Cease and Desist Order follows an investigation into complaints received by the State that DMV Futures, Inc. was driving groups of children into neighborhoods to engage in unsupervised door-to-door solicitation of charitable contributions and sale of candy. The investigation revealed that the Organization claimed to offer a host of comprehensive work-educational youth programs and services as well as part-time jobs, scholarships, and other financial benefits to children.
The investigation revealed that the Organization did not administer youth programs and services and reported little to no financial benefits to the children involved in the door-to-door soliciting. The soliciting appears to have taken place in various neighborhoods in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia throughout the previous three years. The investigation also revealed that the Organization directed charitable contributions into the personal accounts of its officers with no accounting controls or board oversight and failed to submit required annual reports and fees to the Office of the Secretary of State, causing its registration status to be non-compliant.
“DMV Futures, Inc. misrepresented its charitable impact so its officers could make money off generous Marylanders who just wanted to help young people get a job or pay for school,” said Attorney General Brown. “We are proud to work with the Office of the Secretary of State to stop these dubious charities and ensure that Marylanders’ generosity benefits legitimate organizations, not those who abuse the public’s trust.”
“Charitable organizations and nonprofits assist Marylanders every day, and we will always zealously enforce the law in order to protect the public and the good work of legitimate nonprofits and charitable organizations,” said Secretary of State Lee.
The Office of the Secretary of State registers and regulates charitable organizations that solicit charitable contributions in Maryland. Together with the Office of the Attorney General, the Office works to ensure that charitable contributions made by Marylanders go to qualified charitable organizations and are used for the intended purpose.
In making today’s announcement, Secretary Lee and Attorney General Brown wish to thank Javaneh Pourkarim, Assistant Attorney General and Robert Gurley, Investigator, Secretary of State’s Office for their work on this matter. Anyone who has been solicited by DMV Futures, Inc., or parents of youth asked to engage in door-to-door solicitations for DMV Futures, Inc. are encouraged to contact Robert Gurley, Investigator, with the Charities and Legal Services Division at 410-260-3859, or
[email protected].
To find out if a charity is registered with the Maryland Secretary of State’s Office, check
SoSPublic Registry. To report other suspected violations of charitable giving laws, please call 410- 974-5534. More information on charities can be found on the
Secretary of State's charity home page.
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