Attorney general cleaning up raffle in Cape

The notion of buying a chance for $30 on a sports car worth more than $38,000 seemed appealing to some who took that chance last fall. The proceeds were supposed to go to a good cause, the Shepherd's Cove children's home on Route K near Gordonville.

But the raffle never occurred. Not enough tickets were sold to pay for the Nissan 350Z Roadster convertible, explained the Rev. David Butler, director of the children's home. A number of people who bought some of the 600 tickets sold have raised questions and have complained to law enforcement about what happened to the money collected.

Nearly three months after the drawing was to be held, Butler has made an agreement with the attorney general's office to refund $16,820 in ticket receipts. He has turned over the tickets with the names and addresses of the buyers and will also pay a $300 fee to pay expenses for writing and mailing the checks, his attorney Allen Moss Jr. of Cape Girardeau said.

Raffle tickets were sold on the car at $30 each or four tickets for $100. Roger Gibson and Jack Proffer, both of Cape Girardeau, each bought four tickets in November. The car was supposed to have been raffled Dec. 4, then the date was moved back to Dec. 24. Gibson said he contacted Butler to ask when the drawing was going to be held.

"He told me the week after New Year's if he did not sell enough tickets he was going to mail letters and give people the option to donate the money to the children's home or get a refund," Gibson said.

Gibson did not receive a letter, so he said he mailed Butler a letter in mid-February asking for a refund. He said he has not heard from Butler.

Proffer said he sought out Butler, and Butler told him he would have checks cut and in the mail by Feb. 4. Proffer also has not received a refund or any response to his request.

He said he went to Butler's residence, which is located behind the children's home, to see about a refund last week. He said that Butler's wife answered the door and told him that the money had been turned over to the Better Business Bureau to be redistributed.

"I called the Better Business Bureau in St. Louis," Proffer said "He has never been registered with them and no money had even turned over to them."

Proffer said he also contacted the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. A spokesman for the sheriff's office declined to comment.

Refund checks

Last Friday, Butler said he had sent out 15 refund checks. He said he could not remember how much money he has paid out in those 15 refunds.

At the time, Butler said he wanted other buyers of tickets to contact him in writing to request a refund. Some people, he said, declined a refund saying they wanted the donation to go to the children's home. Butler said he wanted the requests in writing so he could be sure the refunds were going to the right people.

"A lot of people don't have their ticket stubs anymore," Butler said. "I got some phone calls from people who stated they had bought tickets, but did not have the stub."

Raffle tickets normally come in two parts. One part the buyer keeps as proof of purchase. The other part retained by the seller has the buyer's name, address and phone number so a winner can be notified.

Last week, Butler said he had the seller's half of the ticket stubs with buyers' information but said he wanted the requests in writing so he could compare handwriting and make sure the addresses are correct.

Now it appears that the refunds will come from the attorney general's office. Moss said he did not know how long it would take for the refunds to be mailed.

He said he is waiting for the attorney general's office to send a document for him to look over and sign that will make the voluntary compliance agreement official.

"It was a fund raiser that went wrong," Moss said. "He said he went to the attorney general's office and said he had a problem with a raffle. What does he need to do?"

Butler said that the raffle was unsuccessful because there wasn't enough time to sell all the tickets. Sales began in September.

Butler said 1,400 tickets had to be sold to buy the car. Only about 600 tickets were sold, he said. He said other expenses had to be paid for from the proceeds: the cost of printing the tickets, advertising flyers, newspaper advertising and a booth for $400 at the SEMO District Fair where the car was displayed.

Butler said the car raffle was supposed to be the major source of funding for the children's home. This year was the first time the home held a raffle to raise money. Previously an auction was held to raise funds for the children's home. Butler said he and his wife also donate to the children's home, and that he serves as director of the home without pay.

Running the children's home costs about $25,000 a year, he said, which pays for insurance on the eight-bedroom, two-story building, utilities and transportation. The home operates with some volunteer help and some paid help. Currently Harold and Danielle Bellew, registered foster parents, live at the children's home with two disabled children, Butler said.

Shepherd's Cove Children's Home was established in 1998 but its charter as a not-for-profit organization was dissolved in December 2001, according to the Missouri secretary of state's office.

If there has been any wrongdoing, Moss said it is that the children's home should be operating under its own charter. He said he is working with Butler and the attorney general's office to establish a charter for the children's home, which will cost an additional $150. According to the state Division of Family Services, Shepherd's Cove Children's Home is not a licensed facility with the state as a child-care facility. A spokesman said that children living there are placed with licensed foster parents, not placed in that particular facility for care.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160