FREEPORT

A Phippsburg woman is facing charges after allegedly soliciting donations from local businesses and misrepresenting her connection with Freeport High School.

Barbara H. Holbrook, 46, was charged by Freeport Police with theft by deception at 9:13 a.m. on March 11.

According to an email from Freeport Police Lt. Susan Nourse, Holbrook was allegedly soliciting donations from local businesses that were led to believe that their names would appear on folders that would be distributed to Freeport High School students.

Holbrook was “misrepresenting her company’s connection with Freeport High School when she was soliciting funds,” said Nourse.

Holbrook allegedly worked for a company called TCB Sports Marketing Group, Inc./Student Relations Inc. based in Delray Beach, Florida.

“She (Holbrook) says the company is legitimate,” said Nourse. “Florida has received several complaints about it.”

Freeport Police learned of the issue after being alerted by a business suspicious of Holbrook’s intentions. It is unknown how much money Holbrook successfully solicited.

“Some soliciting was done in previous years,” said Nourse. “We were not able to locate anyone connected with the company until this year.”

According to Freeport’s police log, Holbrook was charged while at Holbrook Street, but police list her residency in Phippsburg.

In 2013, Vermont’s attorney general announced it had received multiple complaints about Student Relations Inc. and another company, American Youth Group Inc., both run by the same people in Florida.

According to the Vermont AG, companies were asked to place ads on a folder or brochure with the school’s logo, which the company claimed would be used by the school to provide student materials.

“The scam company hires sales people to sell ads to area businesses based on the fraudulent claim that the ad cost will support the local school’s drug prevention program or other support program,” according to a statement issued at the time. “The school has not authorized this ad, the sales person may not be paid, and the profits from the ad sales go right to the scammers.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Student Relations Inc. has attempted to operate in Maine.

In 2012, the Bangor Daily News reported that businesses were being solicited by telephone to sell advertising space in a publication that would have been distributed to Waterville High School students. The Mid- Maine Chamber of Commerce began warning businesses in its area of the possible scam as a result.

jswinconeck@timesrecord.com