A Denver man who continued to solicit contributions for the suspended and defunct Association for Police & Sheriffs has been banned from soliciting charitable donations in Colorado, the Colorado Attorney General announced today.
Gary Maes, 50, has also been barred from operating, forming, founding or establishing any charity in Colorado, according to Attorney General John Suthers.
Maes does business as “Appointed Professional Services,” at 494 Sheridan Blvd. in Denver.
According to a complaint filed by Suthers, the Association of Police & Sheriffs was a California-based charity, originally registered with the Colorado Secretary of State.
However, in January 2009, the Colorado Secretary of State notified the Association for Police & Sheriffs that it was suspended from raising money in Colorado.
Investigators from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office said that in May 2009, the California Attorney General sued the association.
Both the association and its president, Lloyd Jones, defaulted, according to Colorado authorities. In addition, the California Franchise Tax Board suspended the association, preventing them from fund-raising or engaging in any other activity.
Despite the suspension and defunct status of the association, Suthers alleged that Maes, who himself was suspended in 2004 from soliciting donations for charities in Colorado, continued to solicit for the Association for Police & Sheriffs as recently as March 2010.
On Feb. 12, Blu Iron Photography in Wheat Ridge received a solicitation for purchasing advertising space in the Association for Police & Sheriffs “Program Awareness Guide.” The owner of Blu Iron Photography received a follow-up email from the “Association for Police & Sheriffs, Colorado Region.”
Investigators went to the APS office on Sheridan in late February and the office building directory had APS and Association for Police & Sheriffs listed in the same suite.
Under the stipulated final judgment with the Colorado Attorney General, Maes is permanently enjoined from operating or conducting any activities on behalf of the Association for Police & Sheriffs; operating, forming, founding or establishing any charitable organization; making any charitable solicitations on behalf of any charity, and using any trade names to make any charitable solicitations.
According to the stipulated judgment, Maes denies liability. He said he entered the stipulation for resolving the “disputed claims and to avoid the expense of litigation.”
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
