Attorney General Tim Fox and the Federal Trade Commission helped dissolve two nationwide sham cancer charities and settled the case in court on Wednesday. The president of the charities, James Reynolds, Jr., was also banned from profiting any charity fundraising in the future.

"It's a very sweeping settlement," Fox said. "Essentially what went on here was these individuals, families members of Mr. Reynolds and friends, put together a sham charity, suggesting they were going to help out cancer patients and their families.They raised over $157 million from donors over a number of years."

Fox said Cancer Fund of America Inc. and Cancer Support Services Inc. spent the majority of received donations on their operators, families and friends, and fundraisers. Under the settlement order, both charities will be permanently closed and their assets liquidated.

"We are monitoring charities, as you may know, the Attorney General's Office actually is the regulator of charities that are set up in Montana, and anyone who does business in Montana. So these are things that we look into," Fox said. "Certianly, I think the lesson learned here for Montana consumers is know who it is that you're giving to."

The order imposes a judgment against CFA, CSS, and Reynolds, jointly and severally, of $75,825,653, the amount consumers donated to CFA and CSS between 2008 and 2012.

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