Colorado fundraiser for defunct police charity settles allegations

A Denver man reached a settlement with Colorado state's attorney general over soliciting donations for a suspended charity, Association for Police and Sheriffs.

Gary Maes, 50, is no longer allowed to solicit funds, operate, form or create any charity in Colorado state, according to the settlement with Attorney General John Suthers.

The Association for Police and Sheriffs was a California-based charity. In January 2009, the Colorado's Secretary of State's office suspended the organization. Maes continued to ask for donations for the defunct company through March 2010.

In 2004, the Colorado Secretary of State suspended Maes from asking for any charity donations because he wasn't registered with Colorado's charities program. The charities program ensures through the Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act that charitable organizations, paid solicitors and professional fundraising consultants who request contributions register with the state.

Maes was ordered to pay $4,000 as a civil penalty and $10,000 to the Colorado Department of Law for affected consumers' settlement fund.