By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — A Manhattan judge ordered the United Homeless Organization Tuesday to abandon all solicitations until January, at the earliest, following accusations that the non-profit group and its leaders pocketed donations and sent fictitious financial reports to the state.
The order came in the wake of a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in November against UHO, its president Stephen Riley and director Myra Walker. The defendants, who told the judge they are still seeking legal counsel, did not formally oppose the order.
Riley and Walker allegedly used donation money to make personal purchases at retail outlets like the Home Shopping Network, Bed Bath and Beyond and Toys R Us, according to the civil complaint.
They also booked trips to Cleveland and paid utility bills to ConEd for their own homes with UHO money, the Attorney General said.
"UHO is a sham," the complaint reads. "All of the money dropped into the UHO jugs is pocketed by the UHO table workers, Riley, Walker, and other insiders."
UHO collection tables are commonly found in Times Square and along Fifth Avenue in Midtown, especially during the holiday season. While both locations were bustling with shoppers Tuesday afternoon, there was no sign of the UHO workers, whose red aprons and salesman-like catch phrases make them easy to spot.
The organization's donation collectors and its executives must cancel fundraising efforts "pending a further hearing," according to an injunction signed by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Barbara Kapnick.
Cuomo charged the group and its leaders with stealing donations for personal use, misleading contributors and failing to document its finances.
The judge's order additionally prohibits any transfer of UHO funds from the corporation's Chase bank account "or any other account containing UHO funds."
They were also ordered to preserve UHO-related financial records, including receipts and expenses.
From 2003 to 2007, "the UHO reported revenue ranging from $60,163 to $97,890 on its annual filings with the [Attorney General]," according to the civil complaint.
"More than fifty percent of the cash withdrawn from UHO’s bank account in 2007 and 2008 lacked any documentation explaining the purpose for which the funds were spent," Cuomo said in a statement.
UHO was incorporated in 1993, according to the complaint. Their operations have been virtually "unchecked" since the beginning because Riley and Walker have been the group's lone commanders.
Riley and Walker could not be reached. The corporation's listed toll-free number has been disconnected and its Web site is "not available."
The parties are next scheduled to appear in court Jan. 11.
