MILWAKUEE — A prominent local volunteer is facing felony charges for allegedly stealing up to $100,000 from an organization benefitting the Wisconsin-based Stars and Stripes Honor Flight.
A criminal complaint obtained by WTMJ’s John Mercure, who is also on the Board of Directors for the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight, shows that Joni Nogay has been charged with one count of theft between $10,000 and $100,000 from 2017 to 2023. She faces up to $25,000 in fines and 10 years in prison for the Class G felony charge.
Nogay, who began volunteering with the group in 2016, organized several iterations of the We Run-They Fly (WRTF) 5K fundraiser. Each of these events was promoted with the notion that proceeds would go to Stars and Stripes Honor Flight to help fly veterans to Washington D.C. for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
However, the criminal complaint suggests that the organization barely received just under $20,000, which left significant amounts of donation money unaccounted for. Five total donations were submitted between 2016 and 2023, increasing suspicion within the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight community. Eventually, authorities were contacted and an investigation was launched into the missing funds.
The website for WRTF claimed that they raised more than $83,000 for the Honor Flight. Several photos were taken with Nogay holding oversized checks in amounts that were never donated to the proper organization, the criminal complaint suggests.
Nogay’s organization operated with two bank accounts. Prosecutors say checks made out to WRTF were deposited into those accounts and then used to purchase spa services, food, groceries, Walmart and Amazon.
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An audit found that she made at least four purchases from the beauty products company Modere and paid a chiropractor more than $600. She also made two $2500 payments to “Moms and Heels,” an online program purporting to teach moms to become online entrepreneurs.
The complaint suggests that some of Nogay’s donations were allegedly misappropriated and submitted in the memory of deceased veterans. Nogay’s father also participated in a Stars and Stripes Honor Flight.
WTMJ obtained the following statement from the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight:
“Celebrating and honoring our oldest local veterans is the mission of Stars and Stripes Honor Flight. We are also focused on being good stewards of the generous donations that the community gives to our organization.
Stars and Stripes Honor Flight is committed to financial transparency, and we expect similar transparency from individuals and groups who host events that benefit our organization. With this in mind, we feel it is our duty to our donors, our volunteers and the community at large to report any events for which the event planners can’t answer (or refuse to answer) questions about their accounting practices, and when proceeds and donations for an event may not be accurately represented to donors and participants.
Giving our oldest local veterans the honor and the welcome home that they have deserved for so long is our mission and our passion. Our gratitude to our donors and supporters is beyond measure, and anyone who may be fraudulently fundraising for our organization will be swiftly referred to law enforcement. However, we are unable to comment about any specific situations at this time.”
To read the entire criminal complaint, click here.
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