COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Thousands of dollars raised by a charity that falsely claimed it would help residents affected by a train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border earlier this year will be turned over to a food bank serving the area, Ohio's attorney general announced Wednesday.

What You Need To Know

• The Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine spilled hazardous chemicals into nearby creeks and rivers


• Authorities say the Ohio Clean Water Fund sent text messages to solicit contributions, claiming it had partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to collect donations for bottled water


• The charity raised $141,000 from roughly 3,200 donors, but eventually spent more than $100,000 on fees and gave just $10,000 to the food bank


• The lawsuit against he charity's founder, Mike Peppel is still ongoing, authorities said

The Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine spilled hazardous chemicals into nearby creeks and rivers. It led to the evacuation of half of the 5,000 residents when responders intentionally burned toxic chemicals in some of the derailed cars from the Norfolk Southern train to prevent an uncontrolled explosion.

Following the accident, authorities say the Ohio Clean Water Fund sent text messages to solicit contributions, claiming it had partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to collect donations for bottled water. The charity raised $141,000 from roughly 3,200 donors, but eventually spent more than $100,000 on...

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