COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has announced that a preliminary injunction has been issued against Michael Peppel and his Ohio Clean Water Fund for soliciting money under false pretenses. The phony charity claimed to be collecting donations on behalf of Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to provide residents of East Palestine with emergency aid and bottled water after a train derailment.
The Ohio Attorney General’s lawsuit alleged that Peppel and others pocketed at least $131,000 of the roughly $141,000 raised from more than 3,000 donors. The preliminary injunction, issued in the Columbiana County Court of Common Pleas, requires Ohio Clean Water Fund, Michael Peppel, and anyone else working with them to remain in compliance with the court’s temporary restraining order pending the final outcome of this action.
The injunction also protects the remaining funds by requiring Ohio Clean Water fund to disburse the remaining $20,321.91 to its legal counsel to be held in escrow pending the final outcome of the action. Peppel is also required to pay $25,000 to his legal counsel to be held in escrow pending the final outcome of the court action.
In April, representatives of Second Harvest Food Bank complained to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office that they had not authorized the partnership cited by Peppel in soliciting contributions via mass emails and text messages. They had twice asked him to stop advertising the non-existent partnership. Peppel only paid $10,000 – 7% of what he collected – to the food bank after the complaint was made.
“This scam capitalized on a disaster and took advantage of good-hearted givers,” AG Yost said. “I’m still fuming about it, and we’re going to hold him accountable.”
