USA Harvest founder pleads guilty to fraud
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – The founder of USA Harvest has pleaded guilty to tax evasion, mail fraud and money laundering after admitting that he spent donations to the charity on himself.
Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, 65-year-old Hugh “Stan” Curtis will pay his original organization, Kentucky Harvest, $183,354 in restitution and faces prison time when he’s sentenced in September.
Curtis had been scheduled to plead guilty in December 2012, but the hearing was delayed after questions about his competency. Curtis told a federal judge on Tuesday he had memory issues, but understood the charges.
USA Harvest used volunteers to pick up surplus food from restaurants, hotels, hospitals and various other food suppliers and delivered it to missions, soup kitchens, shelters and people in need. Prosecutors said USA Harvest is no longer in business. 6/3/2014 10:32:09 AM (GMT -5:00)
