Police charge woman, son with theft involving charity

By the Associated Press BATAVIA | A woman and her son have been charged with theft after a 14-month investigation into their business that sold instant lottery and bingo tickets and was supposed to provide money to help senior citizens, authorities said. Betty Lemberg Gaddie, 63, of Milford, and Robert Lemberg, 40, of Miami Township, spent $750,000 that was supposed to go to their nonprofit organization, Seniors Helping Seniors, Miami Township police said Friday. The money was used instead to open a strip club, buy jewelry and dinners and pay for Florida trips, police said. The mother and son each were charged with aggravated theft and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Lemberg remained in the Clermont County jail Saturday. Gaddie was out on bond. "There is no record of any of the money going to help a senior citizen," township Detective Bill Paul said. "All the checks were written for their own benefit." The charity was set up by Gaddie and her late husband in the 1980s. The missing money was misspent from the mid-1980s through 2004, police said. The $750,000 came from the sale of instant lottery tickets and bingo cards at the family's store, police said. Gaddie has denied the allegations. The charity lent medical equipment and beds to seniors in need and provided transportation to the Senior Olympics, among other things, she said. "They are coming back on me with these types of charges when never anything come up in all these years," she said. "We never had any questions of anything." There was no answer Saturday to calls to Gaddie's home seeking further comment.