Whistleblower 9: Woman Goes Unpaid After Working For Group

A woman who just moved her family to the Charlotte area said she did work she was never paid for, and that she was told it was for a charity.

But Eyewitness News anchor Scott Wickersham did some digging and, in a Whistleblower 9 investigation, he found both of the people running the organization have criminal records and that one is wanted by police.

When Jennifer Neel moved to Kannapolis from Wisconsin in February, she went looking for work online. She found an ad from a group called Bread of Life from the Heart offering concession work.

“They explained they were a charity to help people get something in the meantime -- something to get work experience,” Neel said. “A little extra cash to help with things.”

Neel said she met Gloria Pauling, who told her she was the president of the charity, which was created to help people down on their luck. She said her husband, James Pauling, acted as a manager on job locations.

They told Neel the job paid $7.25 an hour. She said she worked concessions at the Speedway Auto Fair and was paid in cash.

Neel has receipts from hours worked at the zMax Dragway and Wells Fargo Championship, and thought she had almost $300 coming.

“They sent me a money order for $75,” she said. “I emailed and said, ‘I appreciate partial pay but I really do need the rest of it.’”

Now, Neel said, Bread for Life from the Heart has disappeared.

She had an address on Dearborn Avenue in Charlotte that they gave her for their office, so Whistleblower 9 went there.

There was no office -- just a homeowner who had never heard of the charity.

Whistleblower 9 also called, emailed and texted the charity but got no reply.

Wickersham started investigating the Paulings and discovered Gloria Pauling was arrested in Mecklenburg County in August 2010 for a probation violation. James Pauling is currently wanted by police in Sampson County, N.C., for violating his parole on drug and trespassing charges.

The Paulings were hired for the events at the Speedway and the golf tournament by a company called Levy Restaurants. Nonprofit groups are often allowed to work the events as a fundraiser.

A spokesperson said the Paulings had a legitimate tax number to prove they were registered as a nonprofit. But based on what Whistleblower 9 uncovered, the company will no longer hire them to work concessions at local events.

Neel has since landed a job as a waitress and said she's getting by.

“I feel like I was lied to,” she said. “It was something I really needed to help get me through. We had a disconnect on our light bill and we're just trying to make ends meet.”

She doesn't expect to ever see her money but said she at least learned a hard lesson from the experience.

Wickersham spoke with parole officers in Sampson County and passed along all the information he had on James Pauling. They will work with local officers to try and track him down.

If you know where he is, call the Department of Corrections at 888-646-0024.