Horse Rescue Charity That Collected on Facebook to Pay Back Donations

An unregistered New Jersey charity that used Facebook and website pleas to gather donations to save horses from slaughter will repay $57,129 to the state and be shut down as part of a lawsuit settlement, New Jersey's Attorney General's office said.

In December, the state sued NJ Horse Angels and its two trustees, Sharon Catalano-Crumb and Frank Wikoff over the donations, alleging Catalano-Crumb used the charity funds to fuel a lifestyle that included Atlantic City casino trips, shopping and meals. Some of the donations were used for horse rescues, the state said.

Neither Catalano-Crumb nor Wikoff could be reached for comment. A number listed for Wikoff was no longer in service.