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Family Allegedly Raised $187 Million for Cancer Patients, Spent It on Themselves

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The Federal Trade Commission says a family in Tennessee raised $187 million since 2008 through various cancer charities in all 50 states and then used a majority of the money “to buy themselves cars, gym memberships and take luxury cruise vacations, pay for college tuition and employ family members with six-figure salaries,” the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

According to the AP:

James T. Reynolds Sr., his ex-wife and son raised the money through charities including The Cancer Fund of America in Knoxville, Tennessee, and its affiliated Cancer Support Services; The Breast Cancer Society in Mesa, Arizona; and the Children’s Cancer Fund of America in Powell, Tennessee.

The FTC and all 50 states have now filed a federal lawsuit against the four charities, according to The Knoxville News Sentinel. Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett said this is the largest charity fraud Tennessee has ever been involved in.

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Originally published: May 19, 2015
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