CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Editor's note: 361 Grants provided a statement early Friday morning which addresses allegations made in this story. It has been added to the end of this story so the story can lend context to the statement.
3NEWS has learned of as many as eight ongoing investigations against 361 Grants, a program employees said helps people apply for COVID-19-related relief grants worth between $10,000 and $30,000.
Some of the company’s clients are now asking for refunds of the $150 they paid to the group.
3NEWS reached out to 361 Grants, which is based out of El Barrio Food Pantry, but had not heard back when this story aired at 6 p.m. Thursday.
We no longer operate out of the food pantry. We have ask that anyone requesting a refund email us at 361grants@gmail.com
When 3NEWS last spoke with 361 Grants in September about clients possibly wanting refunds, they sent us a statement which said, in part: “We have also let them know that if they do not wish to move forward with the grant application, they can contact us and we will gladly cancel and give a full refund."
The Robstown Police Department, who currently is handling complaints, said this is no longer the case.
Detective Chris Soliz said the man running 361 Grants was originally advised by his attorney refund the money. Now, he has stopped cooperating with police and reversed course.
"About a week later, his council advised him to stop paying people back for an unknown reason," he said.
Now, people asking for refunds are being told to contact the Coastal Bend Food Bank, which said it has no affiliation with El Barrio.
"Everybody was asking me, 'What do we do, what is this?’ ” said Coastal Bend Food Bank Executive Director Bea Hanson. “And that's when we figured out that somebody was using our number."
She said this is obviously a scam, and that El Barrio is doing contradicts the purpose of a food bank.
"When you work on the non-for-profit agency, you just don't charge the people that you're helping," she said.
Hanson said the phones at food bank starting ringing constantly Wednesday after El Barrio Food Pantry started giving out their phone number.
Hanson said the Coastal Bend Food Bank has 103 pantries in 11 counties, and El Barrio is not one of them.
Food bank employee Victoria Blanco personally answered calls from 10 people asking for their refunds, and said others answered more.
" 'They said I can call over here -- can I get my refund?' ” she said. “There was one lady who went to the facility and was personally given our number to call for the refund."
She said she doesn’t understand why 361 Grants would do this to people.
"Why?” she said. “Why are you doing this to these people. It's not, that's not nice, especially close to the holidays."
Soliz said Robstown Police Department is investigating because they suspect a 361 Grant employee who lives there was collecting grant fees while working from home, and said everyone responsible for the alleged scam could face fraud or forgery charges.
"There could be some criminal activity behind it, but, of course, we won't know until, you know, it comes out, you know,” he said. “And that we know for certain to call it what it is."
Hanson says if you've become a victim of the scam to contact the police and report it.
361 Grants provided 3NEWS with a statement early Friday morning:
"We no longer operate out of the food pantry. We have ask that anyone requesting a refund email us at 361grants@gmail.com
We have never given out the number to Coastal Bend Food Bank to anyone.
We have been working with Detective Soliz, out of Robstown, and we have been giving refunds to the individuals that have gone to the Police Department.
Velma Hernandez is the contact source in Robstown that has been signing people up, but she never turned in the money. We are still giving anyone that signed up with her a refund as we are building a case against her.
We have refunded approximately 248 individuals, with another 152 expected to be mailed out between now and December."
3NEWS has verified with Robstown Police Department that the information in the statement is accurate.