Raffle in the road: Contact 6 finds out if raffle touting teen jobs is legitimate
MILWAUKEE — Teens are standing on street corners selling raffle tickets. They're selling the tickets for N3w World Foundation.
FOX6's Contact 6 cameras saw teenagers selling the tickets on the intersections of Capitol Drive and Green Bay Road, 65th Street and Brown Deer Road, 76th Street and Good Hope Road and 103rd Street and Silver Spring. The teens are collecting money from drivers who either want to win $500 raffle or support teen jobs.
"So, I decided to donate and once I donated the money and I looked at the cards, I just knew it was a scam," said concerned citizen Dashuntaa Johnson.
The word "scam" comes up often on the N3w World Foundation's Facebook page. The chairman, Tyrone William, even addresses in one of the video posted on the page.
Tyrone Williams discusses his raffle in a video posted on the N3w Foundation Facebook page.
"I would like more participating in the raffle so that I could stop hearing that this is scam," Williams said in a raffle drawing video.
Williams says he wants to give teenagers jobs because he know what life i s like when you need money. He spent 16 years in prison for armed robbery.
Every Friday night at 7:00PM, Williams hosts a raffling drawing on Facebook. In addition, he posts the winning number on the N3w Facebook page. So far, only one raffle winner has come forward.
"Once I went on Facebook to actually see the post he was making like it just really seemed sketchy," Johnson said.
Johnson isn't the only one who called Contact 6 and Williams wasn't surprised when Katrina Cravy called him.
"I was wondering when I would get this call," Williams said to Cravy over the phone.
Contact 6's Katrina Cravy sits down with Tyrone Williams to discuss the N3w Foundation and raffle.
After speaking with Cravy on the phone, Williams visited FOX6 to talk about his foundation, the raffle and the complaints he's receiving.
"It may not be perfectly designed, but the heart of it is to help," Williams explained.
Cravy asked Williams how he came up with the design for the raffle.
"It started with adults. The kids got involved because I said we make decent money with adults — kids would make a lot more," Williams said.
One of those kids spoke with Cravy while she was selling raffle tickets in Brown Deer. The unidentified teen girl said she is paid cash everyday from the raffle money.
"I'm 15-years-old," she told Cravy.
"Did you have to fill out a work permit or anything to do work for the company?" Cravy asked the girl.
"I didn't need a work permit for this. I have a work agreement, but not work permit," she explained.
Work agreement for teens selling raffle tickets for N3w Foundation.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) says that is not true. Minors need a work permit.
"You pay these kids. They're no longer volunteers and, therefore, you need to have a work permit," Cravy told Williams.
"Actually, there work agreement is part volunteer," Williams responded.
He thought his work agreement mentioning volunteers hours was enough according to DWD exceptions.
Williams admits he didn't talk to anybody at the state.
"I have a saying, words are trickery because it's interpretable. It's all about the interpretation of words," Williams said.
When it comes to the raffle, Williams does not have a permit from the state.
"It's not legal…You did apply for the raffle in May, but they denied your permit," Cravy told Williams.
In addition, Williams has not applied to become a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit through the IRS.
"How much have you made in this last year?" Cravy asked Williams.
"This year, we've sold maybe 30,000 tickets," Williams responded.
Those tickets were sold at $1.00 a piece and Williams says some people even give his foundation more money because they want to help the kids.
"Is the only real job job that's really there for them selling these raffle tickets?" Cravy asked Williams about the teens.
"No, not for long because, as I said, I'm actually working on — everything I do, I try to incorporate everything I do," Williams said.
Dashuntaa Johnson explains her concerns about the N3w Foundation raffle to Contact 6's Katrina Cravy.
Johnson is glad she called Contact 6 because she thinks people need to think twice before giving money to the teens selling raffle tickets for N3w Foundation.
"I thought I was helping a great cause, but once I dug a little deeper and did my research — it was bologna," Johnson said.
The Milwaukee Police Department tells Contact 6 there have been no formal complaints about the raffle.
The state says if you want to know if a raffle is legal — look for a state license number on the back.