ROGERS, Ohio (WKBN) – A Columbiana County nonprofit is being accused of misusing funds and letting its board president live rent-free on the organization’s 43-acre property, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Yost is suing Lamb’s House and requesting that it be dissolved and a receiver be appointed to manage the nonprofit’s remaining assets.
The case was filed Thursday in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court. Lamb’s House is located in Rogers. The lawsuit names its president, Mark Altomare, and two board members as defendants, accusing them of “unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty and other violations of charitable laws,” according to Yost.
“The jig is up,” Yost said. “This nonprofit has served no charitable purpose for years, operating as a personal ATM and a source of free housing for its president.”
Yost said that Lamb’s House was formed in 2002 as a ministry-driven addiction recovery organization. It owns 43 acres of land where a nine-bedroom house stands that provided housing for recovering addicts, Yost said, but added that Lamb’s House has not served any charitable purpose since 2017, and the only person who lives there now is Altomare.
The property also contains a 13,000 square-foot commercial building and two barns.
Yost accuses Altomare of misusing “tens of thousands of dollars” in charitable funds for personal expenses including gasoline, utility bills, Hulu subscriptions, and food, among other expenses.
The average cost of claimed program-related expenses reported from 2018 to 2023 was $82,818.33, and the average cash balance of the charity at the beginning of the year for these years was approximately $30,295.16; however, the remaining balance in Lamb’s House’s bank accounts as of Sept. 30, 2024, was only $3,067.70, the lawsuit read.
“Board members gave board president Altomare a blank check to help himself to the funds and assets of Lamb’s House,” Yost’s lawsuit says. “In turn, he reported personal expenses as charitable programming expenses without any substantiation, depleting the charity’s assets.”
Lamb’s House owns one 42.988-acre parcel located at 9955 Union Ridge Road in Rogers. It was purchased on Sept. 30, 2011, for $286,000.
Defendants in the case have not filed a response yet. Attempts to reach Altomare and Lamb’s House were unsuccessful as phone numbers for both appear to be out of service.
The case was brought by the Charitable Law Section of the Attorney General’s Office, which is responsible for enforcing state laws governing nonprofits and protecting the integrity of charitable donations.
Ohioans who suspect a charitable organization of fraud or misuse can file a complaint at or by calling 800-282-0515.