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Absher spent 'tens of thousands' of Only Hope cash at casinos, Amazon, bankruptcy trustee says

By Bill Moss, Published: October 24, 2026

Michael Absher, the founder and operator of a shelter for homeless teenagers who faces multiple accounts of child-sex offense, spent “tens of thousands of dollars” of his nonprofit agency’s money at casinos and on online payment services and purchases through Amazon and other outlets, a bankruptcy trustee said.

Robert A. Mays, the court-appointed trustee charged with identifying assets of Only Hope WNC Inc. and overseeing their distribution to creditors, made the allegation in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court motion. In the filing, Mays requested and ultimately won a judge’s authorization to search for detailed records from on-line payment services such as PayPal, Venmo, CashApp and Greenlight; two banks, Wells Fargo and State Employees Credit Union; and seven credit card issuers.

“The trustee’s initial investigation suggests that the debtor did not, at least in recent years, hold regular board meetings, maintain any accounting system, or comply with payroll tax laws,” Mays said in the motion filed in February.

“A review of the debtor’s immediately available bank statements and other records shows that Mr. Absher used the debtor’s funds for a wide array of improper personal expenses, including tens of thousands of dollars of charges and cash withdrawals at North Carolina casinos. Mr. Absher, or someone whom he entrusted with the Debtor’s funds, also made various cash transfers to unknown recipients and for unknown purposes using on-line payment services, including PayPal, Venmo, CashApp and Greenlight.”

Mays sought the court’s authorization under federal bankruptcy rules to investigate the financial transactions, cash withdrawals and purchases and to issue subpoenas if necessary to obtain the information. His motion was granted. The Lightning's review of case documents through Friday showed no report of what Mays had turned up in the hunt. Among other developments, Mays also won the court’s permission to auction off a cargo trailer the nonprofit owned. Creditors forced Only Hope WNC into involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy in December 2025.