Tag: New Hampshire

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Attorney General John M. Formella announces that the Director of Charitable Trusts has filed a civil action seeking an injunction to prevent the Fab Family Fund and members of its board of directors from operating a charitable organization and from engaging in charitable solicitations.

The Fab Family Fund, a New Hampshire nonprofit corporation, purports to be a charitable organization, but its board members have failed to comply with their obligations under New Hampshire law to register with the New Hampshire Attorney General, Director of Charitable Trusts, and to respond to repeated requests for information and administrative subpoenas issued by the Director. The Complaint, filed in Rockingham County Superior Court, names as defendants Shanna Pinet a/k/a Dr. Fabianna Marie, currently the chief executive officer of the Fab Family Fund, David Pinet, treasurer of the Fab Family Fund, and Michelle Tolson, president of the Fab Family Fund.

Since at least February 2020, the Fab Family Fund has held numerous fundraisers and solicited donations through its Facebook page and its website “to educate, facilitate and grant Breast Cancer Thrivers and their families an all expense paid trip for solace and healing.” The Fab Family Fund claimed on its Facebook page and website that it was “an established 501(c)(3) organization” or a “501(c)(3) nonprofit,” but according to the Internal Revenue Service website, it has not received recognition by the Internal Revenue Service as exempt under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Director of Charitable Trusts has alleged that the Fab Family Fund, Shanna Pinet, David Pinet, and Michelle Tolson have violated four separate New Hampshire charitable trust laws and is seeking from Shanna Pinet, David Pinet, and Michelle Tolson restitution to the donors, attorneys’ fees and costs of the investigation, and $10,000 in civil penalties for each violation of state law. The Director is also seeking dissolution of the Fab Family Fund as a charitable organization and an injunction, preventing Shanna Pinet, David Pinet, and Michelle Tolson from engaging in charitable solicitations on behalf of the Fab Family Fund and from serving as an officer or director of any charitable organization in New Hampshire for a period of ten years.

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New Hampshire Court Orders Injunctive Relief in State v Worldwide Push Foundation, Inc.

Deputy Attorney General Jane E. Young announced on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, that the Merrimack County Superior Court granted final judgment against Worldwide Push Foundation, Inc. (“WWPF”), a California corporation, for violations of the New Hampshire Consumer Protection Act and charitable trust laws.

In 2019, WWPF promoted on social media a road race entitled “Margarita Madness 5K” which was scheduled to take place at the Loudon, New Hampshire speedway on October 12, 2019. The website and social media posts promised that the race was “Where you get to celebrate with Margaritas” and indicated that the race would benefit the “Worldwide Push (Push Until Success Happens) Scholarship Foundation.” However, WWPF’s charitable entity status had been revoked by the Internal Revenue Service in May of 2019. WWPF collected thousands of dollars in registration fees but failed to obtain the necessary permits and licenses to hold the event and serve alcohol. In the weeks prior to the race date, WWPF notified the registrants that the race location had been moved to a park in Northfield, New Hampshire. WWPF, again, failed to obtain the necessary permits and licenses to hold the event as advertised. WWPF then “postponed” the event and failed or refused to refund registration fees.

In late 2019, WWPF began advertising on social media and its own website that the “Margarita Madness 5K” races were to take place at “Rollings [sic] Park” in Concord, New Hampshire on July 11, 2020, and at “Surrette Battery [sic] Park” in Northfield, New Hampshire on October 24, 2020. The race on July 11, 2020, did not take place and WWPF failed to obtain the necessary permits and licenses for the October race. WWPF collected a total of over $30,000.00 in registration fees.

In December 2019, the Director of Charitable Trusts issued a Cease and Desist letter to WWPF requiring them to cease advertising the race, return all entry fees, and register with the Charitable Trust Unit. WWPF failed to comply with all of those requirements.
The State filed a civil enforcement action against WWPF on July 10, 2020, for nine violations of the Consumer Protection Act and charitable trust laws for WWPF’s failure to comply with the Cease and Desist, committing unfair and deceptive acts in the course of commerce and charitable solicitations, and advertising services without the intent to sell them as advertised.

By the Court’s entry of Final Judgment, WWPF is permanently enjoined from advertising, organizing, soliciting, or accepting any consumer money for any event in New Hampshire unless and until it is registered with the Charitable Trust Unit. WWPF is further prohibited from committing any future violations of consumer protection or charitable trust laws. WWPF is required to refund race registration fees. The Court also awarded the State attorneys’ fees for the cost of investigating and prosecuting this civil enforcement action.

This case was investigated and litigated by the Charitable Trust Unit and Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau. The State was represented in this case by Assistant Attorney General Diane Quinlan, Assistant Director of the Charitable Trust Unit and Assistant Attorney General John Garrigan of the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau.

This matter came to the attention of the Attorney General’s office as a result of complaints made by individuals who registered for the race. Consumers who have registered for the Margarita Madness 5K Run/Walk in New Hampshire and have not received a refund can file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Bureau online at https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints/index.htm.  

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New Hampshire Attorney General Seeks Injunction Against Margarita Madness 5K Run/Walk

Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald announced today that the State of New Hampshire has filed a civil action, seeking an injunction to prevent the Worldwide Push Foundation, Inc. (“WWPF”), a California corporation, from promoting or conducting road races in New Hampshire and to compel WWPF to refund race registration fees. WWPF purports to be a charitable, nonprofit organization, but it is not registered with the New Hampshire Attorney General, Director of Charitable Trusts in spite of a “cease and desist” letter issued by the Director in December 2019.


In 2019, WWPF promoted on social media a road race entitled “Margarita Madness 5K” which was scheduled to take place in Loudon, New Hampshire on October 12, 2019. The website and social media posts promised that the race was “Where you get to celebrate with Margaritas” and indicated that the race would benefit the “Worldwide Push (Push Until Success Happens) Scholarship Foundation.” WWPF collected thousands of dollars in registration fees but failed to obtain the necessary permits and licenses. In the weeks prior to the race date, WWPF notified the registrants that the race was “postponed” and failed or refused to refund registration fees.


In late 2019, WWPF began advertising on social media and its own website “Margarita Madness 5K” races to take place at “Rollings [sic] Park” in Concord, New Hampshire on July 11, 2020, and at “Surrette Battery [sic] Park” in Northfield, New Hampshire on October 24, 2020. The race on July 11 did not take place, and WWPF has failed to obtain the necessary permits and licenses for the October race. To date, WWPF has collected a total of over $30,000.00 in registration fees.

The State has alleged that WWPF has committed nine violations of New Hampshire charitable trust laws and the Consumer Protection Act. Each violation carries a civil penalty of up to $10,000. The State is also seeking injunctions to stop WWPF from advertising, promoting, and conducting road races in New Hampshire, to require WWPF to refund entry fees to all race participants, and to reimburse the State for the costs of investigating and litigating this case.


This matter came to the attention of the Attorney General’s office as a result of complaints made by individuals who registered for the race. Consumers who have registered for the Margarita Madness 5K Run/Walk in New Hampshire and have not received a refund can file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Bureau online at https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints/index.htm.


This case is being jointly prosecuted by the Charitable Trusts Unit and the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau. The State is represented by Assistant Director of Charitable Trusts, Diane Murphy Quinlan, and Assistant Attorney General John W. Garrigan of the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau.

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