KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas’ Attorney General is forcing a Kansas City, Kansas man to pay thousands to a police organization.

Derek Schmidt’s office said the man was running a bogus charity, posing as the Fraternal Order of Police.

“It was kind of shock,” said Jeff Weissman, the secretary of the Bonner Springs FOP Lodge No. 65. “We were saddened by the thought that someone was using the FOP name to get money out of people.”

Schmidt is awarding the Bonner Springs FOP $10,000, saying the KCK man illegally took in money through a bogus charity using the FOP name.

“They’re using our good name to try to raise funds for whatever it is he was raising funds for, which was not the FOP, and he was caught, thankfully,” Weissman said.

A nine-page consent judgment from May 12 in the district court of Wyandotte County, Kansas states the ‘Kansas City FOP #1 Fund’ was formed on November 15, 2020, and dissolved February 8, 2021.
The goal was to spend money on, “drug education and police relations with citizens.”

Schmidt said the FOP ties, “Would tend to confuse or mislead a solicited person.”

“Just kind of be wary of vague names that are similar to charities that you might know,” said Nikolas Reese, the operations manager of the Better Business bureau of greater Kansas City.

“We actually do have a website ourselves for our accredited charities, ones that we do reviews on,” Reese said. “It’s give.org if you’re never quite sure who it is you’re speaking to.”

The AG’s office also encourages people to go to kscharitycheck.org to check a charity’s registration.
As for FOP Lodge 65, they plan to use the money to honor fallen officers.

“We want people to know that the money is going to be used for good,” Weissman said.

FOX4 isn’t reporting the man’s name since he hasn’t been charged with a crime.

Schmidt said he can’t do charity work in the state anymore.

FOX4 spoke with his attorney, who said he’d be reaching out for an interview. He said the man was legit, and never intended to personally profit from this.