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| Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll |
(Scroll down for video) An organization operated as a charity helping poor veterans but all it did was enriching those few directors running the show, according to new charges filed this week by Florida police.
The Lieutenant Governor of Florida resigned and about 60 people were charged in the scandal involving an alleged veterans charity who authorities said Wednesday was a front for a gambling operation worth about $300 million.
The organization, Allied Veterans of the World, covers nearly 50 computer rooms with Internet-style slot machine games, which are usually legal in Florida if most of the proceeds go to charity.
Detectives said that the organization executives gave very little to veterans while spending millions on themselves, buying boats, beachfront condos, Maserati, Ferrari and Porsche cars.
Florida’s Attorney General, Pam Bondi, called the alleged scam cruel and despicable and said it is insulting to all U.S. citizens who ever wore a military uniform.
Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll was not among the defendants, but resigned a day after she was questioned by investigators.
Her public relations firm worked for Allied Veterans. As a Navy veteran who served in the Gulf War, Carroll also appeared in a TV commercial in 2011 to promote the organization's work on behalf of veterans and their families.Mobile video not loading? Click here to view