Charity’s director has felony past, including theft

Shaun Hittle, of the Lawrence Journal-World, investigates one charity in Lawrence, KS, and the man behind it.

Andrew Gruber, The Purple Heart Veterans Foundation’s director who payed his brother’s fundraising business nearly a half million dollars in 2010 is now being investigated on past criminal charges.  Among many other charges, Andrew spent time in a Kansas prison for felony theft after pleading guilty to stealing a rental car in 2000. Gruber was sentenced to probation and restitution in the case but failed to make timely payments toward the $11,000 court-ordered victim restitution and missed numerous court appearances. Gruber’s probation was revoked in 2004, and he served a six-month prison sentence.