So, we just wrote about Joseph “JG” Spooner, former radio DJ, terrible GoFundMe scammer, bad Craigslist ripper-offer, and accused fraudulent check-casher. Now, we’ve got a new twist in his ever-growing story of scamography.
Back in October of 2015, there was this bootleg Dancing With the Stars event in Cleveland that Spooner danced at, apparently there was a bunch of confusion about who won, as reported by local station WOIO at the time:
SO, in their report on the supposed mixup, Cleveland 19 said:
Dancer Kellyn and JG Spooner tell Cleveland19 that they may compete in a dancing charity event, but it will not be for Ballroom Rocks Cleveland Inc, owned and managed by Lizabeth Rice. Spooner has setup a gofundme account to help raise money for his charity.
Cleveland19’s own Shanice Dunning also participated in the event. She too told Chief Investigator Carl Monday “the event was a complete mess. I am embarrassed because I am a part of it and my name is on it.” Dunning said that her concern is that “this organization, Ballroom Rocks Cleveland, and their event ‘Dancing with the Cleveland Stars’ is just deceptive.” Dunning suggests that anybody whoever looks at Ballroom Rocks Cleveland or working with Johnny Sal to think twice about it and always check thoroughly events you are participating in for charity.
Oh, the irony.
The GoFundMe campaign Spooner started to benefit that charity is gone now, because of course it is, but we reached out to the the charity he started it for and they had plenty to say.
The Cooper Foundation said they first met him when he was emcee for their 2nd Fundraiser in July 2015.
When JG Spooner participated in the Dancing With the Stars event in Cleveland, Cooper Foundation spokesman Craig Cooper says the now-defamed DJ texted him to tell him he picked them as recipient of any funds he might raise through his DWTS event, but then asked Cooper to sell tickets to the show. So Craig bought a ticket for himself, to represent the Foundation.
After the DWTS debacle in Cleveland, Cooper says he had some contact with Spooner after the dance, but when Cooper checked back a month and a half later on the GoFundMe campaign Spooner started it was gone. “I was waiting for him to tell me he was sending the money, but then a couple of months past and he was busted for the other fundraiser,” Cooper said. The GoFundMe campaign is long gone, but Cooper says it raised $140 before it was pulled down. And Cooper never saw a penny.
To date, Spooner is facing charges of money laundering and petty theft related to his GoFundMe scam which ripped off a woman dying of cystic fibrosis.
We asked Craig Cooper if he had any statement on JG Spooner, and his only response was “he’ll have his day in court.”
The Cooper Foundation was founded by Craig & Christine Cooper in 2015. Their mission is to help children and young adults with special needs. Their mission is to help every child meet his or her full potential. They are driven by their beautiful daughter Cassidy, a non-verbal autistic 10-year-old making her way through the world. You can donate directly through PayPal here.
Add this to the long list of Joseph “JG” Spooner’s list of (alleged) bad scams. Taking a hundred bucks from autistic kids? Dude. That’s just low.
This wasn’t his first rodeo, you know.
That campaign is vaporized too.
But this is Cassidy, the daughter of Craig and Christine Cooper and she is just perfect <3
You can give to the Coopers’ foundation here.
Good luck, JG. Pardon my French but you are farked.
