FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts
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410-576-7009
Final Order Bars DMV Futures, Officers, and Agents from Conducting Further Charitable Solicitations
BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and Secretary of State Susan C. Lee today announced a final decision in the case against DMV Futures, Inc., its president, Marcus Smith, and its agent Nathan Jackson. The final decision upholds multiple violations of the Maryland Solicitations Act, including misleading donors about the organization’s charitable programming, using false and misleading advertising in connection with a solicitation, misapplying charitable contributions, unlawfully commingling charitable contributions, and failing to file required annual reports with the Secretary of State’s Office while continuing to solicit charitable contributions.
“This organization exploited children and betrayed generous Marylanders who thought they were supporting youth programs,” said Attorney General Brown. “Enforcement actions like this ensure charitable dollars actually serve our communities.”
“This decision came after a lengthy investigation by the office, and DMV Futures, Inc. was given multiple chances to show it was operating within the law,” said Secretary of State Lee. “Strong enforcement of the Maryland Solicitations Act ensures donor confidence in the nonprofit sector which protects Marylanders.”
DMV Futures, Inc. operated by driving groups of children to various neighborhoods around the DC Metro area for unsupervised door-to-door solicitation of charitable donations and sale of candy. DMV Futures, Inc. promised the public that it offered the soliciting children charitable programming such as cash awards, educational activities, smart phones, Thanksgiving dinners to families in the DMV area, comprehensive youth development programs, trips to Six Flags, museums, movies, picnics, sporting events, sports team scholarships, scholarships, and other gifts including laptops, electronic readers, and PlayStations.
In response to multiple complaints from the public, an investigation by the Secretary of State’s Charities and Legal Services Division, aided by the Office of the Attorney General, showed that DMV Futures, Inc. committed multiple violations of the Maryland Solicitations Act. The investigation revealed the organization did not offer charitable youth programming as described to the public, and that less than five percent of DMV Futures, Inc.’s revenue was spent on trips to Six Flags for youth participants.
On May 15, 2025, the Secretary of State issued a Cease-and-Desist Order against DMV Futures, Inc. and its officers, directors, and agents, including Smith and Jackson, ordering them to stop conducting charitable solicitations in or from the State of Maryland. DMV Futures, Inc., Smith, and Jackson requested a hearing to overturn the Order.
An evidentiary hearing was held on September 11, 2025. On October 7, 2025, proposed decisions upholding the Cease-and-Desist Order against both Jackson and Smith, as well as DMV Futures, Inc., were issued by the Secretary of State’s designated hearing officer, Deputy Secretary of State, Michael Lore. The Respondents did not appeal the proposed decision, which became final on October 27, 2025.
The investigation also revealed that DMV Futures, Inc. and its officers and agents continued to solicit charitable contributions after May 15, 2025, in violation of the Cease-and-Desist Order, and that Respondents created a new entity called “Teen Legacy, Inc.” Teen Legacy, Inc. is not registered to solicit charitable contributions in the State of Maryland.
The final decision announced today follows a lengthy administrative review process to determine whether the charity could continue soliciting the public for charitable contributions to run its programs.
The Office of the Secretary of State registers and regulates charitable organizations that solicit charitable contributions in Maryland. The Office works to ensure that charitable contributions made by Marylanders go to qualified charitable organizations and are used for the intended purpose.
Anyone who is solicited by DMV Futures, Inc. or Teen Legacy, Inc., or any representative on behalf of these organizations, is encouraged to contact a Charity Officer or Michael Schlein, Director, Charities and Legal Services Division at 410-260-3863. To report other suspected violations of charitable giving law, please email [email protected]. To check if a charity is registered with the Secretary of State’s Office, please check this page: https://onestop.md.gov/list_views/62f3e1797f7e3200016a3dab
For more information on charities, please visit the Secretary of State’s webpage on charities: https://sos.maryland.gov/Charity/Pages/default.aspx.
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