Ride to Freedom presented itself as a charity that would provide free or low-cost cars to people in need, quoting scripture and claiming affiliation with a Louisiana church. However, several people paid fees to the organization and never received cars or had their money returned when contact was lost. An investigation revealed Ride to Freedom was running a scam, as the church denied any affiliation and the organization's representatives could not be located. One representative was uncovered to be a convicted felon using an alias who had run similar scams in the past.

1. RIDE TO FREEDOM SCAM SCRIPT CBS 4 MIAMI SHERYLKAHN, PRODUCER
(***PKG**))
BEST FRIENDS REBECCA BRATCHER AND KIMBERLEY WASHINGTON THOUGHT THEY'D FOUND
A GREAT DEAL ON A WEBSITE CALLED "RIDE 2 FREEDOM".
IT OFFERED HELP FOR PEOPLE WHO WANTED BETTER CARS....BUT COULDN'T AFFORD THEM.
..CLAIMING TO BE CONNECTED TO A CHURCH..
THE WEBSITE EVEN QUOTED SCRIPTURE...SAYING THE COMPANY "ASKED THE LORD FOR
SOLUTIONS TO BLESS OTHERS"..AND ASKING APPLICANTS TO "PRAY FOR US AS WE SERVE
WITH "JESUS,OTHERS,YOURSELF".
SOUNDBITE
REBECCA BRATCHER, VICTIM OF ALLEGED SCAM
“ IT WAS AFFILIATED WITHA CHURCH OUT OF LOUISIANA AND SO IT WAS A CHARITY SO WE
WERE EXCITED ABOUT IT AND THAT SOMEBODY WAS WILLING TO HELP US”
THE TWO WOMEN FILLED OUT APPLICATIONS AND SENT IN PROCESSING FEES TOTALLING
ABOUT 500 DOLLARS. THEY EMAILED BACK AND FORTH WITH A WOMAN THEY BELIEVED TO BE
THE FIRM'S OWNER...CHRIS MALACHI... AND COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE GARY DAGINELLA....
REBECCA AND KIMBERLEY WERE TOLD THEY'D HAVE TO MAKE SMALL PAYMENTS...BUT
THOSE PAYMENTS WOULD COVER WARRANTIES,AND THE CARS WOULD BE FREE. THEY
WERE ALSO TOLD THE VEHICLES WOULD BE DELIVERED TO THEM.
BUT NO CARS EVER ARRIVED....AND WHEN THEY TRIED TO CONTACT THE COMPANY TO GET
THEIR MONEY BACK...
SOUNDBITE
REBECCA BRATCHER
“ THAT'S WHEN PHONE LINES STARTED GETTINGDISCONNECTED AND WEBSITES STARTED
GOING DOWN”
JEFFREY BRUNO OF FORT LAUDERDALE PAID “RIDE 2 FREEDOM” 800 DOLLARS...THINKING HE
WOULD BECOME PART OF A NETWORK OF DEALERS.
JEFFREY SAYS HE ALSO SPOKE TO GARY DAGINELLA,...WHO TOLD HIM THE SAME LINE ABOUT
“RIDE 2 FREEDOM'S” OBJECTIVE IN PROVIDING CARS TO PEOPLE IN NEED..

2. SOUNDBITE
JEFFREY BRUNO, VICTIM OF ALLEGED SCAM
“HE TOLD ME THEY WERE DONATED BY A CHURCH IN LOUISIANA AND THAT THEY'RE NOT
TRYING TO MAKE A PROFIT, THEY'RE JUST TRYINGTO HELP PEOPLE”
ACCORDING TO JEFFREY, THAT'S THE LAST HE'S HEARD FROM DAGINELLA...AND THE LAST
HE'S SEEN OF HIS MONEY.
WE WENT LOOKING FOR GARY DAGINELLA AT HIS FLORIDA ADDRESSES...BUT FOUND NO
TRACE OF HIM.
IT TURNS OUT...THERE HAVE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT RIDE 2 FREEDOM'S PRACTICES
FROM ALLEGED VICTIMS IN SEVERAL STATES.
AND THE POLICE HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING THE COMPANY.
A SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE CHURCH WHOSE NAME IS LISTED ON THE WEBSITE, ALONG WITH
THE CHURCH'S NAME... SAYS SHE AND HER CHURCH HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH “RIDE 2
FREEDOM“...
SOUNDBITE
ROSIA DUNCAN, CHURCH SPOKESWOMAN
“MY NAME IS IN FLORIDA ON THAT ORGANIZATION. I SAID I WANT MY NAME OFF THAT
ORGANIZATION.”
THERE'S STILL NO WORD FROM GARY DAGINELLA.
BUT POLICE IN LOUISIANA DID FIND THE WOMAN WHO CALLED HERSELF CHRIS MALACHI...
THEY SAY HER REAL NAME IS CHRISHEENA MC GEE...
THAT SHE'S A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE CHURCH SHE ALLEGEDLY LISTED ON THE “RIDE 2
FREEDOM” WEBSITE....AND HAD BEEN ACCUSED OF STEALING FROM THE CHURCH.
A CONVICTED FELON, WHO'S SERVED TIME IN PRISON FOR SIMILAR SCAMS...MC GEE WAS
ARRESTED,AND IS NOW
IN CUSTODY IN LOUISIANA... AS THE SEARCH FOR MORE POSSIBLE VICTIMS..CONTINUES.
---------------, CBS4NEWS.