Georgia group is accused of misusing charity fund

October 21, 1981

A Georgia consumer official says the leaders of a charity formed to support the families of the 28 young blacks murdered in Atlanta ''made a mockery of the law'' - even using committee funds to pay for a woman's plastic surgery.

Tim Ryles, administrator of the state's Office of Consumer Affairs, charged that the Stop Children's Murders committee had failed to register as a charity, failed to file quarterly reports and an annual audit, and made false sponsor claims. He also questioned the use of more than $800 of STOP funds to pay for plastic surgery for one of the committee officers, a mother of a victim.

A STOP representative said her group made some fund-raising mistakes ''out of ignorance'' but did not intentionally violate the law.