Junior faces criminal charges
Student owns solicitation corporation charged with misleading customers
Brian Reisinger
Issue date: 2/23/06 Section: Campus News
The UW-Eau Claire junior who faces criminal racketeering charges was the owner and operator of Community Support Inc., one of the solicitation entities authorities say deceived out-of-state donors.
Steven J. Ranta, 27, of Altoona is one of eight individuals facing criminal charges in Eau Claire County for using "deceptive telephone solicitations" to raise money for "questionable charities," according to a press release from the attorney general's office.
Community Support is one of four solicitation entities in question, along with one "fundraising broker" and two charities, according to the release.
Authorities said donations collected by the entities reached more than $10 million dollars.
The Eau Claire district attorney and state attorney general's office will jointly prosecute the case.
Ranta's attorney, Jay Heit, said Ranta and his 11 employees were soliciting money by phone for legitimate charities under contractual agreements, and in accordance with state law.
The Internal Revenue Service recognized the charities, solicitated on behalf of Community Support, as legitimate, Heit said. Any money Community Support received as payment, he said, was part of a legal arrangement typical of the solicitation business.
"(Ranta's) business, from our point of view, was perfectly legitimate," Heit said. "They would reach an agreement as to how much of the funds that were solicited would be distributed to his people."
Under Wisconsin's non-disclosure law, Heit said, Community Support was not required to divulge what portion of donated money actually was going to the charities themselves.
"We don't have to tell you how much of any contribution you're making is going … to the fundraiser," he said. "This is not racketeering in any way, shape or form, because all you have to do is hang up the phone."
Eau Claire District Attorney Richard White stood by the charges, saying the information authorities have collected raises questions about the use of donated sums of money and even the locations of claimed charities.
Steven J. Ranta, 27, of Altoona is one of eight individuals facing criminal charges in Eau Claire County for using "deceptive telephone solicitations" to raise money for "questionable charities," according to a press release from the attorney general's office.
Community Support is one of four solicitation entities in question, along with one "fundraising broker" and two charities, according to the release.
Authorities said donations collected by the entities reached more than $10 million dollars.
The Eau Claire district attorney and state attorney general's office will jointly prosecute the case.
Ranta's attorney, Jay Heit, said Ranta and his 11 employees were soliciting money by phone for legitimate charities under contractual agreements, and in accordance with state law.
The Internal Revenue Service recognized the charities, solicitated on behalf of Community Support, as legitimate, Heit said. Any money Community Support received as payment, he said, was part of a legal arrangement typical of the solicitation business.
"(Ranta's) business, from our point of view, was perfectly legitimate," Heit said. "They would reach an agreement as to how much of the funds that were solicited would be distributed to his people."
Under Wisconsin's non-disclosure law, Heit said, Community Support was not required to divulge what portion of donated money actually was going to the charities themselves.
"We don't have to tell you how much of any contribution you're making is going … to the fundraiser," he said. "This is not racketeering in any way, shape or form, because all you have to do is hang up the phone."
Eau Claire District Attorney Richard White stood by the charges, saying the information authorities have collected raises questions about the use of donated sums of money and even the locations of claimed charities.