A long-running cancer charity scam, that allegedly made one New York man thousands of dollars that went toward his mortgage payments and credit card bills instead of sick patients, has been busted by city prosecutors.
The man from Staten Island appeared in court on Monday to face charges alleging he created at least 23 fake cancer charity organizations and pocketed $152,000 for his personal use.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced the indictment that accuses Ian Hosang, 63, of operating the fraudulent charity funds between 2014 and 2021 by linking them to legitimate groups like the American Cancer Society and United Way.
An investigation by the district attorney's office uncovered evidence that alleges Hosang "lined his own pockets" from countless donations that he in turn used to pay his living expenses, bills and trips to the liquor store. Attorney information for Hosang was not immediately available.
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The man is also accused of stealing a Brooklyn woman's identity and naming her as the director of many of the fake entities he created to allegedly scam donors.
"Many of the charities included the words 'American Cancer Society' or 'United Way' with added qualifying language to allegedly mislead potential donors," the Brooklyn district attorney explained in a press release Monday.
Gonzalez said the Staten Island man advertised the charities online, with websites claiming that “Thanks to our volunteers, our ‘angels on earth,’ we have been able to keep organizational costs low while using most of your generous contributions to benefit kids and their families.”
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Hosang appeared in court Monday before the Brooklyn Supreme Court. His indictment includes 12 counts of third-degree grand larceny, three counts of first-degree identity theft and one count of first-degree scheme to defraud.
He was released without bail and is scheduled back in court next month, the district attorney said. If convicted, Hosang faces up to seven years in prison.
