Veterans Charity Fraudster Who Promised a Harley Is Arrested

By Christian Moe - January 31, 2018

Florida man promises that you can win a new motorcycle, play golf with an NFL running back…and get robbed blind at the same time.

If there is a Hall of Fame for awful people, we have a real contender here. Meet Christopher Blake, a Florida man who was arrested for attempting to rob basically everyone within a 50-mile radius of his person by claiming to be the founder and CEO of a fake charity. On top of that charade, he also claimed to have a new Harley that he was offering up as a raffle prize.

The charity in question is “Second Chance Veterans Foundation,” and Blake used this fake organization to screw over a lot of people. Here are just some of the various ways he pilfered people’s wallets. Firstly, he was saying there was a shiny 2018 Harley Davidson Street Glide Special that was donated by local dealer Bruce Meyer’s Harley-Davidson, and he was selling raffle tickets to win it. As you might have guessed, there was no Harley, and Bruce Meyer’s Harley-Davidson never even heard of Blake.

Now, looking at the Harley-raffle announcement that Blake posted online, there were plenty of red flags courtesy of the many typos in a post that reads like it was written in the dark: “This powerhouse of a motorcycle is valued at $23,000 and will benefit homeless veterans in the central florida area. …On Memorial Day one luck winner will be chose at random.”

Then there was a charity golf “fundraiser.” It was $100 for a day of golfing and lunch with former NFL running back Gerald Riggs in attendance as a celebrity guest.

Beyond getting people to give him money, he reportedly straight-up stiffed a bunch of others.

Looking at the Harley-raffle announcement posted online, there were plenty of red flags courtesy of the many typos in a post that reads like it was written in the dark.

In the search to locate Blake, detectives found out that he was six-months unpaid on rent for his office; the $6,500 check he paid the DeBary Golf and Country Club for the fundraiser bounced; and he left a bill of nearly $1,000 at a local hotel unpaid. Even the $2,500 check for Riggs’ appearance bounced.

Thankfully, authorities caught up to Blake pretty quickly after he attended a local community forum and took a photo with the Volusia County Sheriff, Mike Chitwood. Then, of course, he proudly posted the photo online. It was this photo that made tips flood in about Blake’s misdeeds and opened the investigation. Blake was soon arrested and transported to the Volusia County Jail, held on a bond of $10,000. Sheriff Chitwood was a bit perturbed by the ruse, too, publicly calling Blake a “scumbag,” reports the New York Post.

This fool defrauded far too many people, and all on the promise of helping our nation’s veterans. You do not get to prey on our sense of national pride and military veterans to line your own pockets. If you or anyone you know has donated money to the Second Chance Veterans Foundation, you are urged to contact the VCSD at 386.254.1537.