Solicitors Agree to Change Pitch or Face Fines

SANTA ANA —  A telemarketing firm accused of soliciting money from Latino and Vietnamese immigrants on the promise of better police and fire protection agreed Friday to change its tack, prosecutors said.

Solicitors for Tri County Associates, based in Santa Ana, phoned hundreds of people in Orange County within the last six months seeking donations for organizations that did not exist or misrepresenting how the money would be used, according to a suit filed by the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Richard Levine, owner of the telemarketing firm, did not admit to any of the allegations but agreed to resolve the case by acknowledging that if it happened in the future, the company would face hefty fines, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Jane L. Shade of the Consumer Protection Unit of the district attorney’s office.

Levine acted as his own representative in defending the civil lawsuit that was filed Thursday, Shade said. Numerous calls to Levine’s office were not returned.

The investigation of the company revealed that Latino and Vietnamese residents were coerced into donating, Shade said.

“Most of the donations were very small, between $15 to $25, so they weren’t bringing in that much money. But the real tragedy is that they were playing on fears,” Shade said.

“The line went something like: ‘If you donate, your name goes on a list and you’ll get better service,’ ” Shade said. “The threat is that if you don’t, maybe no one will come when you call the police.”

Garden Grove Police Detective Al Butler said he handled about eight complaints from people who gave about $500 each.

“Some of the victims told us they were threatened and told that if they didn’t contribute, the police wouldn’t respond,” said Butler, who said the scheme undermines police work. “It tears down the trust that we work hard to build up.”

Shade said she believes that the telemarketing people targeted those from countries where bribes for better police protection and fire service are routine. The firm used solicitors who spoke Vietnamese and Spanish, she said.

In one example cited in the case, the company solicited donations for the Santa Ana School Crossing Guards, a group that does not exist, Shade said.

In other cases, money was solicited for the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs, an out-of-state group, on the promise that the money would benefit local law enforcement, Shade said. But local police departments say they have no ties to that group.

Of the money that did make it to real charities, about 25 cents on the dollar was received. The other 75 cents went toward administrative costs, she said.

The Tri County Associates suit is the latest case of suspected charity and consumer fraud in Orange County.

In late November, Clyde E. Weinman, former head of a nonprofit agency for the homeless, was charged with skimming $81,000 from the Irvine agency.

Two days later, the largest charity fraud cases in state history were filed against Orange County Charitable Services and owner Mitchell Gold. The suit claims that the organization funneled more than 95% of $8.6 million in contributions directly into organizers’ hands.