United Homeless Organization Shut Down by Court Order

Last month Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed a lawsuit against the United Homeless Organization, accusing the group of running a scam that funnels money to the bosses at the top and the workers who solicit donations throughout Manhattan, in the name of "helping the homeless." Today Cuomo obtained an interim court order requiring the not-for-profit group to immediately halt all charitable solicitations from the public by any means. The order also freezes UHO’s assets, including bank accounts and vehicles.

According to the lawsuit, individuals (many of them homeless or on the margins) pay Riley a flat-rate $15 to $25 to rent a table and empty water jug for a four-hour shift. "In exchange for paying a fee to UHO founder Steven Riley, workers received tables and UHO-branded materials, including a tablecloth, apron and plastic jug, and the right to claim membership in UHO," the suit alleges. "Today’s court order prevents UHO from further exploiting the trust and good will of New Yorkers," said Cuomo in a statement. "But this organization’s bad behavior shouldn’t undermine the public’s willingness to donate to legitimate charities."

Nevertheless, some New Yorkers who regularly dropped change into the UHO's jug are furious, and WCBS hit the streets last month to get some juicy public reactions. "I put $2 in the bottle. Everywhere I go I put change. I feel like they was playing me because now I come to find out I'm paying for her light bill. Why I got to pay for her light bill? I got to pay for my own light bill," said Edwin Olieva of Coney Island. And one homeless man was incensed to find out that the donations are pocketed by workers, telling one UHO rep, "You're hustling people in my name. In my name you're hustling people."

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By John Del Signore in News on December 15, 2009 4:50 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

Liquor stores everywhere are cancelling their Coinstar machines.

poetofsorts

Now they just realize that this is scam! Goodbye. I'll never forget when i was walking with my friend and he took out his money to drop a dollar in and the guy saw that he had a 20 and he started yelling at him to put the 20.

brooklynmouthoff

bye losers.

Malcolm Tucker

It's a Christmas miracle!

MT

This court order didn't seem to be stopping the guys who were set up with their table and jug outside the SI Ferry terminal last night.

240Bravo

I guess they will trade in the water bottles for 3 card monte. At least you got a show from watching the tourist get scammed from 3 card monte.

240Bravo

THE SMELL

newport27

what's the difference between these "hustlers" and the white collar criminals and politicians that new york city is teeming with?

only the volume of the hustle

seven

Huzzah!

The only thing worse than human misery is people profiting off of human misery. There is a special place reserved for you in hell, Mr. Steven Riley

NannyState

Good riddance to those uptight snobs. I always offered them a penny but they refused to break my hundred dollar bill.

Mr Mel

The guy pays $25. a day for the table and the jar. He keeps what he can collect.. I see nothing wrong with it, its entrepreneurial. The guy goes home with maybe $50-75 dollars. He's not laughing all the way to the bank. Lets be real here the UHO people are scammers but the guys at the tables are down and outers.

silver

Then guy goes to the block, buys a few bags, sells em, and goes home with the markup or the cut. No debt from the wholesaler required.

Mr Mel

Yeah and I'm sure you have a better solution.

snickerdoodle

I like how Cuomo's acting like he's some kind of hero. New Yorkers have known this to be a scam for years. If it weren't for that expose on TV a few months ago, these crooks would still be in business.

The real question: what took so damn long for the media to notice and for the state attorney general to take action?

rcltrh

Awe. I'm gonna missing ignoring the guy across from the Christopher Street park who chants over and over, "a penny to feed the homeless, just a penny, nobody needs to be homeless tonight." Good riddance.

suepart

next up, please crack down on panhandling and the large numbers of bums in the subway system and streets.

HughGass

Could someone explain to me this scam ... I never got it. What's with the kids selling candy on the subway or on the street. Is it really for the baskeball team? Church?

seven

HughGass, if you really have to question whether or not the kids selling candy are doing it for the b'ball team, man, you are truly a fresh off the bus hayseed from Wisconsin.

They're selling candy. They're trying to trick gullible imbeciles like you into thinking they're doing it for some cause. Every New Yorker knows the drill. If you're on the subway and fiending for some M&M's between 59th Street and 66th Street, pay the kid and buy a package. If not, don't. It's not that difficult.

WorksInDUMBO

They told me it was for band!

theLtrain

They're selling candy to get money to spend it on whatever they want to buy.

I haven't heard a kid say he was fundraising for a basketball team in seriously years. For a while they used to say that they weren't selling it for anybody but themselves but now when I see them they don't bother saying anything other than what candy they have. The way it should be!