8 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JULY 2017 Crook doesn’t “Back the Blue”– he rips people off I n case you haven’t noticed, there are a ton of people throwing money at law enforce- ment right now. No, we’re not talking about cities and counties giving cops raises and protecting their retirement funds. This is instead about do- nations of gear and vehicles from wealthy individuals, corporations and people dig- ging into their own pockets to “back the blue” by writ- ing a check to someone that says they’re “supporting police.” Anytime charitable giving, of one type or another, hits this fever pitch level you can bet your bottom dollar there will be hustlers working long and hard to make sure they get a piece of the pie. In Missouri, a Farmington man that ran yet another phony law enforcement charity is facing a lawsuit. From KFVS News: “Ac- cording to Attorney General Josh Hawley, Terry Lemons told donors that he was rais- ing money for a memorial to honor fallen enforcement officers.” Lemmons is one smooth operator. He had a “blue lives matter” truck that he’d drive around in soliciting money for fallen officers that he would just keep for himself. He called the truck a “portable memorial.” Lemons allegedly used the fake name of “Thin Blue Line Tahoe” and said it was a nonprofit corporation, ac- cording to Hawley. But Hawley says this is just another phony “widows and orphans” hustle. AG Hawley says he used the initial donations to do up his personal vehicle to look like some kind of police memorial-police vehicle hybrid. Inside the vehicle were all the trimmings – ra- dar equipment, a shotgun, light bars and even a very policey-looking laptop. Lemmons apparently spent the rest of the loot on himself while living the high life in local bars and restau- rants with the money he’d relieved his naïve victims of. “We will aggressively pur- sue those who take advan- tage of Missourians gener- osity, especially when they dishonor law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their communities,” said Josh Hawley. If you or someone you know got duped, Missouri officials say you should call the Missouri Attorney Gen- eral’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-392-8222. Phony fund-raising is a constant. So be careful about who you line up with based on trucks, T-shirts and stickers Everyone’s got the right to make a buck, and even legitimate charities usually keep a large percentage of every dollar do- nated. But it’s pretty stupid to assume some guy’s on the up and up just because he’s got a nice wrap on his SUV. JOIN TODAY… DON’T DELAY! THE FINEST LEGAL DEFENSE PROTECTING YOU FROM CIVIL, CRIMINAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INCIDENTS Phone Consultation Program, Cancer Care Coverage, Vision Coverage, University Tuition, Car Rentals and Discounts, Pre-paid Legal Program, Group Term Life Insurance, Directors and Officers Liability, Union Liability, Group AD&D, and Fidelity Bonds. ™ Duty-Related Civil, Criminal and Administrative Incidents ™ After Hours Answering Service for Critical Incidents ™ $5,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment Included [24/7, on or off duty] ™ Plan A-HR-218 Legal Defense Coverage Included ™ Team Legal Defense Program for Union Members and Locals FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT Leslie McMahon, Executive Director 800-367-4321, ext. 1010 or lesliem@plea.net P.O. Box 1197 Troy, MI 48099-1197 THE FINEST LEGAL DEFENSE PROTECTION AVAILABLE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AVAILABLE: TO ENROLL IN LEGAL DEFENSE CALL: 1-800-367-4321 WWW.PLEA.NET FOLLOW US ON: @ProfessionalLawEnforcementAssociation