Warning Issued on Telephone Appeals

The Ventura County district attorney’s office has issued a warning about telephone solicitations conducted by two groups run by an Orange County man asking for contributions to the California Narcotics Officers Assn.

The callers state that they are from either the Santa Barbara Charitable Services Organization or the Orange County Charities Services. Both organizations have been sued by the California attorney general’s office for providing false information to citizens regarding the percentage of a contribution that was used for nonprofit purposes, Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury said.

The two charity organizations are operated by Mitchell Gold of Orange County, he added.

In Ventura County, the phone solicitor stated that an officer of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department had endorsed the California Narcotics Officers Assn., but an investigation showed otherwise, Bradbury said.

In another instance, a caller verbally abused a resident in Santa Barbara with obscene and lewd language for not completing a donation, he added.

Gregory Brose, deputy district attorney, said the solicitors ask for several levels of contributions, and the contributor is told that a runner will pick up the money. He said the groups ask for donations ranging from $35 to $100.

While Gold’s organizations are the subject of state scrutiny, the California Narcotics Officers Assn. is not under investigation, Brose said.

Bob Hussey, executive director of the Santa Clarita-based California Narcotics Officers Assn., said his group ended its relationship with the Santa Barbara charity group several months ago because of the district attorney’s scrutiny.

Upon learning of the D.A.’s “consumer alert” Monday, Hussey said he suspended use of Gold’s Orange County operation pending the outcome of the civil litigation in earlier cases involving Gold’s two companies.

Gold, a subcontractor working for the officers group, could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Barry Fisher, said he feels that the district attorney’s move was unjust.