Press Release  AG Campbell Secures Court Orders Permanently Barring Operators Of A Fraudulent Veterans Charity From Engaging In Charitable Activities In Massachusetts

BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell secured a court order declaring that Sean D. Murphy, Rikkile Brown and their corporate counterparts, Political Petitioning of MA, LLC (PPMA) and Help Homeless Vets, Inc. (HHV), violated Massachusetts’s charitable solicitations laws by using deceptive tactics to collect donations under the guise of supporting veterans, but misappropriated much of the money for personal use. The judgments permanently bar Murphy and Brown from soliciting and collecting charitable donations in the Commonwealth and order them to formally dissolve the corporate entities they used to carry out the scam. 

“When residents donate their hard-earned money to charitable organizations, they deserve to know that their contributions are going toward the causes they believe in. By misappropriating donations meant to support veterans, Sean Murphy and Rikkile Brown exploited the compassion of our residents and shamelessly disrespected those who serve our country,” said AG Campbell. “This victory puts scammers on notice that my office will not tolerate scams that prey on consumers or veterans.” 

In January 2023, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) filed a civil enforcement complaint alleging that Murphy and PPMA, the company he managed and which Brown owned, recruited and hired veterans to sit in front of supermarkets across the Commonwealth and collect signatures for a petition that purported to help homeless veterans. At Murphy and PPMA’s direction, the veterans instead primarily collected cash donations, informing shoppers that the donations went towards charities supporting veterans.

The AGO’s complaint alleged that Murphy and PPMA unlawfully operated as professional solicitors, and that when donors began questioning the final destination of the donations, Murphy and Brown formed HHV, a public charity that they controlled. The AGO’s complaint also alleged that out of the thousands of dollars that were collected, only about $343 went to legitimate veterans' charities. In March 2023, AG Campbell secured a preliminary injunction barring the defendants from collecting donations. Following extensive litigation, a Suffolk Superior Court sided with the AGO and entered an order permanently barring Murphy and Brown from operating or engaging in charitable activities in the Commonwealth.  

This matter was led by Assistant Attorney General Argie Kosmetatos Shapiro, with assistance from Division Chief Jonathan Green and Assistant Attorney General Eric Carriker, all of the AGO’s Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division.  

The AGO’s Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division oversees more than 25,000 public charities operating in Massachusetts. It ensures appropriate application of charitable assets, investigates allegations and initiates enforcement actions in cases of breach of fiduciary duty, and supports transparency through publication of filed reports and forms. The Division also oversees paid fundraisers, including enforcement of registration and filing requirements and prosecution of solicitation fraud. 

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