HARTFORD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The City of Hartford Police Department arrested 51-year-old Rafeal Andrews who allegedly had children solicit money for his organization. 

On Friday, Aug. 8, law enforcement observed a Dodge minivan traveling on E. Sumner St. and after a registration check found that the license plate on the minivan was registered to a white Mazda sedan.

The minivan pulled into a Piggly Wiggly parking lot where officers conducted a traffic stop. The owner of the vehicle, later identified as Rafeal Andrews, exited the vehicle and began walking away. Andrews was ordered by law enforcement to get back inside the vehicle but was not compliant.

During the interaction, Andrews commanded two juvenile passengers, both age 12, to exit the vehicle and walk away. Andrews refused to obey officers wishes until another unit arrived on scene.

Officers spoke to the 12-year-olds, who appeared to be 'shaken up' according to law enforcement. They stated, at first, that they 'worked for him [Andrews]' later correcting themselves by saying that Andrews was their 'mentor'.

One 12-year-old spoke to an officer in private and said that Andrews had them going 'door-to-door' to solicit money for his organization. They stated that Andrews would yell at them to make more money. They memorized a script, and they stated they believed Andrews was keeping the money for himself, describing a time he got a $3,000 check and only gave them $20.

When questioned, Andrews stated he was taking the children to the pool and to River Fest. He stated he mentors through the "Mentor Clubs of America" and that they raise money. He also stated he 'got hooked up with the kids through the Barack Obama School in Milwaukee'.

The victims stated that Andrews smokes marijuana and would smoke with other children in the program. They also stated they would stay at Andrew's home in the garage with makeshift beds and were locked in, unable to go inside to use the restroom if it was too late at night.

Officers went to Andrews's home and found the garage contained multiple makeshift bedding areas, with the garage having no air conditioning or ventilation. Several pipes, blunts and bongs and other drug paraphernalia were also found in the space.

Officers found financial documentation dating back to 2014 that had check logs from solicitation activity, children's names, recorded work hours and cities visited across Wisconsin.

Andrews's wife, identified as Ides Andrews, confirmed that the children regularly slept in the garage and were not permitted inside the home due to her distrust of "inner city kids." Ides stated that the children were sometimes denied access to the restroom due to 'excessive and continuous knocking.'

Both victims stated that they worked eight-to-nine-hour shifts in various communities across Wisconsin. When asked if they were allowed breaks or what occurred during excessive heat, Andrews will tell them to 'suck it up.'

The children were recruited into a program called "Mentor Clubs of America" and "Christian Programs for Inner City Children." In the programs, Andrews was a mentor and would pick them up from school on Fridays after 3 p.m. during the school year and on Fridays around 12 p.m. in the summer. They would stay with Andrews until Sunday evening.

The children would canvas neighborhoods across Wisconsin and wore a uniform from Goodwill and given a script to memorize. If they didn't raise enough money for a hotel room, they would stay at Andrews's residence in the City of Hartford.

They stated there are about 30 children in the program and identified two other mentors.

Officers interviewed the mothers of the victims who stated they had no idea the children were sleeping at Andrews's garage. They believed the program was through the school and that it was legitimate.

On Instagram Andrews identifies himself as the Chief Executive Officer at Mentor Clubs of America. Officers found that the website for the club had not been updated since 2019 and records shows the company was administratively dissolved in 2024.

Andrews has been charged with: 

• Two counts of human trafficking.
• One count for obstructing an officer. 
• One count of possession of THC.
• One count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Two counts for neglecting a child - specified harm did not occur.