Embattled founder of dubious Marines & Mickey charity arrested in Florida

July 16 mother of fallen marine previously raised questions's about charity's legitimacy

U.S. Navy sailors "man the rail" at a memorial service at Ross's Landing for the 5 servicemen killed in last July's attack on two area military facilities on Saturday, July 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Saturday marked one year since the attack by a lone gunman at a Lee Highway military recruiting center and the Naval Operational Support Center and Marine Corps Reserve Center off of Amnicola Highway.
U.S. Navy sailors "man the rail" at a memorial service at Ross's Landing for the 5 servicemen killed in last July's attack on two area military facilities on Saturday, July 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Saturday marked one year since the attack by a lone gunman at a Lee Highway military recruiting center and the Naval Operational Support Center and Marine Corps Reserve Center off of Amnicola Highway.
photo John Shannon Simpson

John Shannon Simpson, who started a dubious charity to help Marine families and honor a lance corporal killed in the July 16 shooting, was arrested in Lee County, Fla., this week.

Simpson, 41, is charged with burglary, kidnapping and sexual assault. According to a Lee County Sheriff's Office incident report, a former employee of his charity told investigators that Simpson had stalked her for months before showing up to her house Tuesday.

She said he carried her into her shower, undressed her and washed her off. He is also accused of penetrating her with his finger. After the shower, she said, Simpson tried to perform oral sex, but she ran out of the room.

A sergeant found her back there. The accuser had texted a friend when Simpson arrived, according to the report. And the friend asked the sheriff's office to check on her.

"As (the accuser) approached Sgt. Walsh, he could see a look of fear and concern on her face," an investigator wrote in the incident report Tuesday.

photo Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 6/30/16. John C. Simpson, father of John Shannon Simpson, speaks about his son while in the doorway of John C.'s Anderson, S.C., residence. former brother in law of Jeff Simpson, and Simpson's 18-year-old nephew Blake Stutler, speak about Simpson's youth. John Simpson the founder of Marines & Mickey is under federal investigation for stolen valor and is accused of misappropriating funds by the leaders of the Lance Corporal Skip Wells Foundation.

Simpson's statements to the sheriff's office have been redacted from the report.

In 2014, Simpson started Marines & Mickey, a charity that sent Marines and their families to Disney World or Disneyland when they were home from duty, He also sent parents to boot camp graduations at Marine Corps. recruit depots in San Diego and Parris Island.

In July 2015, he became close with Cathy Wells, the mother of Lance Cpl. Squire 'Skip" Wells, one of five servicemen killed during a mass shooting at the U.S. Naval and Marine Reserve Center.

Simpson and Cathy Wells began raising money together for Marines & Mickey to honor her son. But in February 2016, Cathy Wells publicly broke from the charity, saying that Simpson was not all he claimed.

On the charity's website, someone advertised Simpson as a former Force Recon Marine, master sergeant and Parris Island drill instructor, with more than 20 years of experience in the Corps.

photo Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 6/29/16. Jeff Stutler former brother in law of John Simpson, and Simpson's 18-year-old nephew Blake Stutler, speak about Simpson's youth while outside of the Belton, S.C., home that Simpson grew up in. John Simpson the founder of Marines & Mickey is under federal investigation for stolen valor and is accused of misappropriating funds by the leaders of the Lance Corporal Skip Wells Foundation.

In fact, according to the U.S. Marine Corps. Manpower and Reserve Affairs Department, Simpson actually served about three years, went before a court martial after an arrest and was dishonorably discharged in 1997 as a private, the lowest rank possible.

Last year, Cathy Wells told the Times Free Press she helped Simpson raise about $160,000. She asked for her money back. She said Simpson refused. Her friends asked him to turn over the financial records for his charity. Simpson again refused.

Meanwhile, a collection of Marines' parents had also complained to the NCIS that Simpson was also defrauding them through his charity. Parents who volunteered for the charity told the Times Free Press that they raised tens of thousands of dollars every couple months, only to see Simpson spend $2,000-$3,000 of those proceeds on the charity.

Simpson denied misusing money. But an NCIS spokesman confirmed last year that the department was investigating Simpson's charity. He could face a charge of Stolen Valor, a federal offense for making money off a lie about your military record.

The accuser in Simpson's arrest Tuesday had been one of his last supporters. But she told the sheriff's office that she tried to distance herself from Simpson in October, after she said she realized he was committing crimes.

Even so, she said, Simpson texted her sexually explicit pictures. And on Sunday, he showed up to a restaurant where she was eating with her children.

photo Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 6/29/16. Kit Sanders, president of the Teufflshunde Motorcycle Club for US Marines in Anderson, S.C., recalls stories that John Simpson shared about his military experience while visiting the club which Kit believes Simpson was lying about. John Simpson the founder of Marines & Mickey is under federal investigation for stolen valor and is accused of misappropriating funds by the leaders of the Lance Corporal Skip Wells Foundation.

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