Man Arrested for Fraud After Using Homeless Veterans

Deputies arrest Ormond man in veterans charity fraud

Daytona Beach News Journal

Seth Robbins
December 29, 2017

An Ormond Beach man has been accused of running a sham veterans charity after investigators said he scammed several local businesses that had provided services for a benefit golf tournament headlined by a former NFL player.

Christopher Blake, 46, faces a felony charge of organized scheme to defraud after he received donations and services under the guise of a charity called “Second Chance Veterans Foundation,” Volusia County sheriff’s detectives said.

Blake held a late October golf tournament at DeBary Golf and Country Club where he brought in a friend, retired NFL football player Gerald Riggs, to be the star. But the golf course, a sign maker, a hotel and even Riggs were left empty-handed after Blake paid them with bad checks for their services or tried to skirt payment entirely, according to a charging affidavit.

The website for Blake’s charity, which boasted of a Memorial Day raffle of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was said to have been donated by Bruce Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson, was also investigated. The raffle was to be held at Ace Cafe in Orlando, and the proceeds from it were to go to the area’s homeless veterans. But when Elmazi contacted the motorcycle dealership and the cafe, both owners said that the advertising was false.

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