Nearly $9M awarded in suit over alleged phony charities

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A family accused of running phony charities to help wounded vets and rescue abused horses has been ordered to pay nearly $9 million in a California state lawsuit.

The state attorney general’s office announced Tuesday that a jury in San Diego found against Matthew and Danella Gregory and their two adult children.

The lawsuit alleged that the family set up two charities — Wounded Warriors Support Group and Central Coast Equine Rescue and Retirement.

The nonprofit groups, operating out of Carmel-by-the-Sea and Livermore, held fundraising raffles — supposedly to raise charity funds.

But the lawsuit says the family instead spent the money on personal expenses, including traffic school, paying off credit card debts and shopping at Victoria’s Secret.

The charities have been ordered dissolved.