CBS 2 Chicago Investigation Results in Halting of Charitable Car Donation Program

CBS 2 Chicago Investigation Results in Halting of Charitable Car Donation Program

CBS 2 Exclusive

CHICAGO, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- A five-month undercover CBS 2 Chicago investigation revealed how thousands of cars donated to a variety of non- profit organizations nationwide never made it to their respective charities. The investigation also exposed how profits from those cars allegedly ended up in the pockets of convicted felons. The report aired last night on CBS 2's 10:00 PM News.

The investigation was conducted by CBS 2 reporter Dave Savini and producer Michele Youngerman. Savini and Youngerman uncovered that Easter Seals of Metro Chicago, DuPage County and Wisconsin was cheated out of 701 donated cars because two Illinois companies, run by convicted felons, were given contracts to handle the automobiles. As a result, Easter Seals has immediately halted its car donation program because of the CBS 2 Chicago findings.

The investigation centered on car donations made in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana and several other states since 2002. In all the CBS 2 investigation found at least 187 charities, including the American Diabetes Association, the Cancer Research Institute and the Alzheimer's Association of Illinois, were unknowingly using companies run by convicted felons and were allegedly swindled out of hundreds of cars. Officials at the charities have launched their own investigations.

Source: CBS 2 Chicago

CONTACT: Elizabeth Shapiro Abrams of CBS 2 Chicago, +1-312-202-3465

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