Resident Speaks Out On Actions of the 'Little Angels' Group
By: Alanna Quillen
Updated: March 5, 2013
MOREHOUSE PARISH -- Many people have reached out through Facebook and email, voicing their reaction to the theft and conspiracy charges involving the group, "Little Angels of Northeast Louisiana."
April Musgrove says she donated money and her time to helping the organization she thought was helping her close friends, the Jones family of Bastrop.
"I even went out and represented the organization and solicited people in Morehouse Parish for donations," she said, saying the group had organized a pageant fundraiser last year in which her daughter participated in. "I represented to those people that it was going to be used for the pageant and the Jones family."
The organization was founded in 2012 by Quinton and Stacey Mewborn. The group was meant to assist families like the Jones -- with children diagnosed with a connective tissue disorders like Ehlers Dandles Syndrome and OI disease.
Musgrove says she realized something was wrong when her friend told her they never saw the money raised from the pageant last year. Musgrove says even though she questioned Stacey about the funds raised, she was never given a direct answer. She says she and others stopped hearing from the organization within the past few months.
"It's mind-boggling, to me, for somebody to take and use a mother and her four children's disease to benefit themselves," she said.
The investigation -- conducted by Louisiana State Police -- started after a complaint of unaccounted for funds raised by the "Little Angels" group. The investigation revealed $4,000 was unaccounted for.
"I'm so disappointed and so disgusted that two grown people could do to a family who's already struggling," Musgrove said. "It infuriates me."
Morehouse Parish sheriff Mike Tubbs says he's disappointed to see former deputy, Quinton Mewborn's 16 years of law enforcement experience come to an end.
"When I advised him that warrants were coming for he and his wife, he resigned from the department," he said. "Law enforcement unfortunately is not immune to this, you see it in all occupations. Certainly, we're disappointed."
Sheriff Tubbs said he considered Mewborn's police work to be outstanding.
"His police work, he always went above and beyond, so it was really surprising," Tubbs said.
Musgrove says the organization's actions have are impacting more than just her friends.
"All the businesses that people approached, that's only going to hurt charities in the future who approach businesses, because people are going to be gun-shy," she said. "They hurt possible other organizations who will reach out for donations for help. If they're arrested and serve jail time that's not going to take away the hurt and struggle."
April Musgrove says she donated money and her time to helping the organization she thought was helping her close friends, the Jones family of Bastrop.
"I even went out and represented the organization and solicited people in Morehouse Parish for donations," she said, saying the group had organized a pageant fundraiser last year in which her daughter participated in. "I represented to those people that it was going to be used for the pageant and the Jones family."
The organization was founded in 2012 by Quinton and Stacey Mewborn. The group was meant to assist families like the Jones -- with children diagnosed with a connective tissue disorders like Ehlers Dandles Syndrome and OI disease.
Musgrove says she realized something was wrong when her friend told her they never saw the money raised from the pageant last year. Musgrove says even though she questioned Stacey about the funds raised, she was never given a direct answer. She says she and others stopped hearing from the organization within the past few months.
"It's mind-boggling, to me, for somebody to take and use a mother and her four children's disease to benefit themselves," she said.
The investigation -- conducted by Louisiana State Police -- started after a complaint of unaccounted for funds raised by the "Little Angels" group. The investigation revealed $4,000 was unaccounted for.
"I'm so disappointed and so disgusted that two grown people could do to a family who's already struggling," Musgrove said. "It infuriates me."
Morehouse Parish sheriff Mike Tubbs says he's disappointed to see former deputy, Quinton Mewborn's 16 years of law enforcement experience come to an end.
"When I advised him that warrants were coming for he and his wife, he resigned from the department," he said. "Law enforcement unfortunately is not immune to this, you see it in all occupations. Certainly, we're disappointed."
Sheriff Tubbs said he considered Mewborn's police work to be outstanding.
"His police work, he always went above and beyond, so it was really surprising," Tubbs said.
Musgrove says the organization's actions have are impacting more than just her friends.
"All the businesses that people approached, that's only going to hurt charities in the future who approach businesses, because people are going to be gun-shy," she said. "They hurt possible other organizations who will reach out for donations for help. If they're arrested and serve jail time that's not going to take away the hurt and struggle."
