Social Impact Funding
Ohio Clean Water Fund, LLCAbout
Important information
- Pending Government Action:Government Action: BBB reports on known government actions involving business’ marketplace conduct:2023 CV 00162 - STATE OF OHIO EX REL vs. OHIO CLEAN WATER FUND LLC
The following describes an open government action that has been formally brought by a government agency but has not yet been fully resolved and closed. We are providing a summary.
On April 10, 2023, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office filed a civil lawsuit in Columbiana County Ohio Common Pleas Court against defendants Ohio Clean Water Fund, LLC, (OCWF) Columbus, Ohio, and Michael Peppel, Leetonia, Ohio. According to the state, the lawsuit alleges that the defendants falsely presented Ohio Clean Water Fund as a nonprofit organization acting on behalf of Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to provide East Palestine residents with emergency aid and bottled water, following the Norfolk Southern train derailment. The defendants allegedly spent at least $91,769.26 of $141,183.48 raised on administrative fees, and only after being called out paid $10,000 to the food bank, according to the state.
According to a press release from the Ohio Attorney General's published on June 7, 2023, under a Settlement Agreement entered into between the State of Ohio, the Ohio Clean Water Fund, LLC, and Patrick Lee, the settlement includes a dismissal of the claims against the OCWF and one of its board members, Patrick Lee, and under the agreement:
- The Ohio Clean Water Fund must pay $131,904.88, including $116,904.88 in restitution and $15,000 in civil penalties.- The Ohio Clean Water Fund must dissolve.
- Lee is barred from being a board member of or soliciting money for a charity in the future.
Yost’s lawsuit remains active against OCWF creator Michael Peppel as the office works to finalize details of an agreement that will protect the charitable sector from any similar misconduct by Peppel and others involved in this scheme, according to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
For more details you may wish to contact:
- The Ohio Attorney General's Office Help Center, Toll-free: 800-282-0515 or Local: 614-466-4986, 30 E. Broad St., 14th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215, https://www.ohioprotects.org/ or https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/April-2023/AG-Yost-Sues-Sham-Charity-for-Illegally-Pocketing or https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/June-2023/AG-Yost-Recovers-Donations-from-Phony-Charity-Clai
- The Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, 330-424-7777, 105 South Market, Lisbon, Ohio 44432, https://www.ccclerk.org/ or https://www.ccclerk.org/case-access re case 2023 CV 00162 - STATE OF OHIO EX REL vs. OHIO CLEAN WATER FUND LLC
Business Details
- Local BBB:
- BBB of Central Ohio
- BBB File Opened:
- 3/9/2023
- Business Started:
- 3/3/2023
- Business Management:
- Mr. Mike Peppel, Founder
- Ms. Kimberly Land Esquire, Statutory Agent
Additional Contact Information
- Principal Contacts
- Mr. Mike Peppel, Founder
- Customer Contacts
- Mr. Mike Peppel, Founder
- Additional Email Addresses
- Primary: Email this Business
Additional Information
- Business Categories
- Social Impact Funding
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