N4T Investigators: Religious non-profit accused of not reimbursing canceled …

A Tucson non-profit organization accused of failing to pay back thousands of dollars to victims after canceling trips to Europe, has had a history of ending up in legal battles over the same issue, state records show.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph Ministries is accused of refusing to refund money for a trip it canceled, last November. The News 4 Tucson Investigators spoke with more victims of this non-profit and learned that in 2011, JMJ Ministries president Gayle Sims had to repay more than $15,000 to victims from a previously canceled trip. Records show JMJ Ministries settled with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. 

According to the Amended Assurance of Discontinuance filed in March 2011, prosecutors say JMJ Ministries accepted money from victims for a May 2010 trip to Oberammergau, in Bavaria, Germany, to attend a Passion Play. At the same time, JMJ Ministries also accepted money for a June 2010 trip to France and Italy. After not having enough clients for the Germany trip, the Attorney General’s Office, stated, JMJ Ministries still owed $22,517.40 for that trip and used the funds from the France and Italy trip to pay off the Germany trip. JMJ Ministries then canceled the France and Italy trip, but never refunded the victims back their money. In total, the non-profit paid back more than $15,000 to seven victims.

Last November, JMJ Ministries owner, Gayle Sims, was accused of refusing to pay back another victim, for more than $5,500, after she canceled another pilgrimage. Lupita Vejar told the News 4 Tucson

Article source: http://www.kvoa.com/story/28316343/n4t-investigators-religious-non-profit-accused-of-not-reimbursing-canceled-trips-has-similar-history