Minnesota Man, Woman Cited for Soliciting Money for Fake Charity

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A man and woman from Minnesota have been cited for going door-to-door in Batavia to solicit money for a fake charitable organization.

Clara S. Rothstein, 20, of Shorewood, Minn., and Ryan P. Choinski, 22, of Chaska, have both received citations for soliciting without a permit after police received reports of the duo going door-to-door, asking for money for military care packages for an organization called Vision Packaging LLC, according to a Batavia Police Department press release.

Batavia police later learned Vision Packaging LLC is not a legitimate business. They also learned the group has received soliciting complaints from other municipalities throughout the Chicago area in recent months.

Batavia police were first alerted to the incident after receiving a complaint on Sept. 20 from a resident living in the 700 block Mandrake Drive in Batavia. They cited h for soliciting in that neighborhood. They received another complaint around 4:40 p.m. on Thursday in the 1100 block of Wind Energy Pass. They cited Rothstein for soliciting money in that neighborhood.

The Batavia municipal code requires all solicitors register with the city and complete a background check before they can be granted a permit for door-to-door sales. Solicitors who are granted a permit must wear a badge affixed to the front of their shirt, which contains permit information.

Police remind residents to be mindful of door-to-door solicitor scams. Residents should call 911 if they suspect a scam.