Fundraising is tough. Convincing your supporters to donate their hard earned dollars to your cause is tough enough without criminals like this guy using a fake charity to swindle money from the community. This guy's punishment was (thankfully) more than a slap on the wrist. Let's hope it sends the right message to any other con-artists lurking in the shadows.

"A man accused of running a sham coin-collecting charity in the name of helping animals was fined more than $330,000 and barred from fundraising in New Jersey under a court order released today. Patrick G. Jemas, of Woodbridge, faced civil penalties after the state Division of Consumer affairs sued him and his Union Township-based organization, the National Animal Welfare Foundation Inc., for misleading how the money collected in countertop canister was used." Click on one of these links to get the whole story: Home News Tribune, Daily Record, Courier News