Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve a Columbiana County nonprofit accused of misusing charitable funds and allowing its board president to live rent-free on the organization’s property.
Yost’s office announced the lawsuit Thursday against Lamb’s House, a ministry located in the village of Rogers. The filing names board president Mark Altomare and two board members as defendants, alleging unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty and other violations of charitable laws.
“This nonprofit has served no charitable purpose for years, operating only as a personal ATM and a source of free housing for its president,” Yost said in a statement. “The jig is up.”
The lawsuit seeks to dissolve Lamb’s House and have the court appoint a receiver to manage the nonprofit’s remaining assets.
Formed in 2002, Lamb’s House describes itself as a ministry supporting addiction recovery. The organization owns 43 acres of land that include a nine-bedroom house, a 13,000-square-foot commercial building and two barns.
According to the lawsuit, Lamb’s House and its property have not served a charitable purpose since at least 2017. Although the organization claims it once provided housing for recovering addicts, Yost’s office says the property has in recent years served only as a residence for Altomare, the nonprofit’s founder, president and sole employee.
While living on the property, Altomare allegedly misused tens of thousands of dollars in charitable funds to pay for personal expenses, including food, gasoline, utility bills, Hulu subscriptions and more.
“Board members gave board president Altomare a blank check to help himself to the funds and assets of Lamb’s House,” the lawsuit states. “In turn, he reported personal expenses as charitable programming expenses without any substantiation, depleting the charity’s assets.”
The Charitable Law Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office brought the case, which enforces state laws governing nonprofit organizations and protects the integrity of charitable donations.
Ohioans who suspect fraud or misuse by a charitable organization can file a complaint at charitable.ohioago.gov or call 800-282-0515.
