AG sues Minneapolis church, dance studio over $2M misuse
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued Minneapolis-based Real Believers Faith Center, Les Jolies School of Dance, founders Sharon and Larry Cook and five other leaders, alleging misuse of more than $2 million in nonprofit funds.
The complaint says the spending included roughly $169,462 on travel, $71,341 at restaurants, $113,848 at Home Depot and over $278,000 in cash withdrawals. It also alleges the Cooks took out more than $650,000 in unapproved loans using nonprofit property as collateral and failed to report millions in nonprofit-derived income on W-2s from 2017 to 2023.
The episode traces back to alleged spending at Real Believers Faith Center of more than $1.3 million from February 2018 to October 2024. It says about $800,000 was misused at Les Jolies School of Dance from April 2018 to June 2024. Bank records show roughly 91 percent of transactions from one Real Believers account and 50 percent from another had no identified nonprofit purpose between February 2018 and October 2024. The complaint says Sharon Cook tried to dissolve the dance nonprofit in March 2025 while the attorney general's office was investigating.
The suit also recounts a much-publicized 2022 "new management" celebration at a West Broadway Marathon gas station, saying the Cooks never owned the station and organizers made only a partial lease payment. When questioned about the event, the complaint says Larry Cook asserted his Fifth Amendment right.
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📊 Relevant Data
The alleged misuse of funds from Real Believers Faith Center totaled over $1.3 million, while the alleged misuse from Les Jolies School of Dance totaled $800,000. ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp))
Attorney General’s Office sues charities over $2 million in misused assets — Minnesota Attorney General
Approximately 91% of transactions from one Real Believers Faith Center bank account controlled by Larry Cook and 50% from another account controlled by Sharon Cook had no identified nonprofit purpose. ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp))
Attorney General’s Office sues charities over $2 million in misused assets — Minnesota Attorney General
The Cooks took out over $650,000 in unapproved loans using property owned by the nonprofits as collateral, with no benefit to the charitable missions. ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp)) ([Minnesota Attorney General](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/05/05_LesJolies.asp))
Attorney General’s Office sues charities over $2 million in misused assets — Minnesota Attorney General
📌 Key Facts
- AG Keith Ellison filed a civil lawsuit against Real Believers Faith Center, Les Jolies School of Dance, and founders Sharon and Larry Cook, plus five additional officers/directors.
- The complaint alleges more than $2 million in nonprofit funds were spent on luxury and personal items, including roughly $169,462 on travel, $71,341 at restaurants, $113,848 at Home Depot, and over $278,000 in cash withdrawals.
- The suit claims the Cooks took out multiple loans on nonprofit-owned properties without charitable benefit, failed to report millions in nonprofit-derived income on W‑2s between 2017 and 2023, and that Sharon Cook tried to dissolve the dance nonprofit in March 2025 during the AG’s investigation.
- Real Believers Faith Center’s much-publicized 2022 ‘new management’ celebration at a West Broadway Marathon gas station is alleged to have followed only a partial lease payment; the Cooks never owned the station and Larry Cook asserted his Fifth Amendment rights when questioned about it.
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