Oklahoma City couple caught in alleged charity scam

Friday, March 17th 2006, 2:02 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A couple accused of operating an Oklahoma City-based charity scam that involved cellular phones donated from 41 states is in the Whatcom County Jail in Bellingham, Washington.

Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson says he will seek to extradite Domingo Frias-Payan and Heather Frias-Payan to face charges stemming from an alleged $1-million swindle through the Save-A-Life-Give-A-Phone Foundation, Incorporated.

Heather Frias-Payan surrendered yesterday at the Canadian border. Her husband was captured Monday by Canadian police at the Vancouver International Airport under an assumed name.

Edmondson says the Frias-Payans solicited cell phones on behalf of battered women's shelters, the elderly and disabled. Edmondson alleges that the couple sold the majority of the donated phones for their own personal benefit.

The couple was charged last April in Oklahoma County District Court with one felony count of racketeering, 11 counts of violating the state law on charitable contributions and one count of forgery.