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Fund-raiser forced to shut down State orders restitution to Shriners By Chris Bristol The state Department of Justice has taken civil action against a Medford-based fund-raiser accused of ripping off a Shriners club and other nonprofit organizations. Carl Corcoran agreed to "indefinitely discontinue" charitable fund-raising activities in Oregon � regardless of whether he is paid or volunteers his time, according to documents filed recently in Jackson County Circuit Court. Ross Laybourn, an assistant Oregon attorney general, said the agreement stemmed from complaints made by the Hillah Shriners organization in Medford. Allegations included inadequate accounting for cash and donated tickets. Under the agreement, called an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance, Corcoran promised to pay $500 restitution to the Shriners. In exchange, the state suspended a $5,000 fine. Any violations of the agreement could result in civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. Corcoran admitted no violations of the law, according to the agreement. A phone number for Corcoran�s business, Friends of Mine, has been disconnected and Corcoran could not be reached for comment. Joe Griggs, the Shriners regional potentate in Cottage Grove, said the complaint was filed after club members alleged Corcoran received cash deposits for promoting a circus sponsored by the Shriners last year. "Nothing was deposited," he said, adding the club had "no idea" how much cash was involved. A separate agreement was signed by Medford resident Vickie Miller-Rickard, who was described as a participant in the "management and control" of Friends of Mine. She also promised to stop any nonprofit fund-raising activities and not violate the state Charitable Solicitations Act and the Unlawful Trade Practices Act. In an interview Tuesday, Miller-Rickard said she was never involved in the company and that her relationship to Corcoran was limited to renting him a room in her home. She said the state came after her only because she was Corcoran�s landlady and because he had a business phone line installed in her name. "I�m a victim of circumstances," she said. The only organization identified in connection with the agreements was the Shriners club. But at least two others also filed complaints with the state. Sherrie LaBat, co-founder of the nonprofit Howling Acres wolf sanctuary in Williams, said she complained to the Department of Justice after Corcoran stole money and promotional materials from the sanctuary and meddled in its affairs. LaBat hired Friends of Mine last year after Corcoran told LaBat he could help the organization raise $100,000 in six months, she said. Instead, she received one check for $300. LaBat insisted that Miller-Rickard was Corcoran�s partner. The sanctuary serves as a home for injured and orphaned wolves. LaBat�s allegations were backed by Linda Lee, a Grants Pass woman who accused Corcoran and Miller-Rickard of ruining her attempts to launch a nonprofit organization last year for the deaf. Lee, a longtime advocate for the deaf in Josephine County who owns an acting and modeling agency called Topline Careers, said she also filed a complaint with the Department of Justice. "They introduced themselves as partners," she said. "It wasn�t until trouble started that they started saying otherwise." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA