By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, RALEIGH, N.C., Thurs. July 14, 2016: A North Carolina woman claimed she was helping Haiti after the massive 2010 earthquake and set about collecting donations for the Caribbean nation. But authorities say the donations never made it to Haiti as the woman instead sold the donations and pocketed the money.
Jennifer Pierce, who led the Share Our Shoes charity, is accused of using a fake charity to defraud two companies out of millions of dollars. She was back in court in Raleigh, NC on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, facing a variety of charges including obtaining property under false pretenses and illegally accessing the secretary of state’s “Corporations Database.”
Jennifer Pierce, had her charity license revoked by the state in 2012 after she made a big splash collecting shoes for the Haiti earthquake victims but then resold the donated shoes instead of sending them to those in need.
A grand jury indictment also has charged Pierce and another defendant with using a fake charity to target AT&T and Verizon in order to obtain tablets and cellphones. Pierce and co-defendant Brian Keonte Knight are accused of reselling the equipment, costing the two companies upwards of a million dollars.
The case continues on Aug. 8. Pierce is free on bond but under house arrest.
