Central Ohio Man Accused of Misusing Charitable Funds

The lawsuit accuses Bobby J. Walker and his organization, Central Ohio Community Involvement Foundation, of violating Ohio’s Charitable Trust Act and Charitable Organizations Act. 

According to the lawsuit, Central Ohio Community Involvement Foundation runs a youth summer camp called PROBE (Playing Roles Outside of Basic Education) and a school-year athletic program for charter school students under the name Charter School Athletic Association of Ohio.

Between January 2012 and July 2016, about $550,000 was deposited into Central Ohio Community Involvement Foundation’s checking accounts, and roughly half of this amount was withdrawn in cash by Walker, according to the lawsuit. Investigators suspect that a significant portion of the withdrawn money was misused.

Walker is accused of converting charitable funds for personal benefit, failing to protect charitable assets from unlawful use, failing to keep adequate records, submitting false and misleading information in filings, failing to properly register with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, and abusing a charitable trust.

In the lawsuit, the Attorney General seeks a reformation of the charitable trust, injunctive relief to prevent Walker from working for a charity in Ohio, civil fines, damages, and other relief.

A copy of the lawsuit, filed in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, is available on the Ohio Attorney General’s website.

Suspected charitable fraud should be reported to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at [www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov]www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or 800-282-0515.