Man used nonprofits to ‘defraud’ Minnesotans, AG Ellison alleges in lawsuit

A Minnesota man created a suite of official-sounding nonprofits to solicit donations and entice people to buy legal services he wasn’t licensed to provide, a lawsuit alleges.

David Singleton billed himself as the founder and president of five not-for-profit groups. But he used some of the organizations’ reserves for personal purchases at liquor stores, drug stores and restaurants, state Attorney General Keith Ellison says in the lawsuit.

The complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court alleges the nonprofits deployed images and language to “confuse and mislead” Minnesotans about their purported connection to government agencies.

The five nonprofits are the Minnesota Civilian Public Safety Commission Inc., League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions, DWI Prevention Services Inc., Minnesota Police Reserve Officers Association and United Criminal Justice Reform Commission.

According to the suit, they failed to meet the requirements of a state law governing nonprofits. Singleton and his for-profit legal business are also listed as defendants.

“It is appalling that the defendant founded and used nonprofits not to help Minnesotans, but to defraud them and leave chaos and confusion in his wake,” Ellison wrote in a news release Thursday.

In a statement, Singleton said he wouldn’t comment on the lawsuit’s specifics but denied any wrongdoing. He said he served clients with good intentions, chalking up the allegations to a “Democratic-run state using the power of government to slander, discredit, and violate my constitutional rights due to their own political beliefs.”

According to the lawsuit, the Minnesota Civilian Public Safety Commission claimed to offer legal consulting and mediation arbitration services through another Singleton-led business. But that for-profit business, Midwest Arbitration and Special Conciliation Authority, has never employed any attorneys or paralegals, the complaint states.

Singleton, who isn’t licensed to practice law, is the group’s only employee.

In another case, he collected hundreds of dollars in “member commission dues” for the League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions. He used that money at restaurants and gas stations.

The charities division of the Attorney General’s Office began investigating Singleton’s groups after receiving complaints from the state Department of Human Rights and a constituent.

The lawsuit contends Singleton violated the Consumer Fraud Act and Deceptive Trade Practices Act and asks the court to dissolve the five groups.

It also wants the court to force Singleton to undertake remedial actions and award money to remedy any harm his “unlawful acts” caused.