Sheriff's departments from across the state will get a financial boost following a settlement with a national deputy sheriff's association and its alleged deceptive fundraising practices .

It was an announcement made by Attorney General Jack Conway Monday and one that the Warren County Sheriff's Department had its hand in.

Sheriff Jerry "Peanuts" Gaines says a company soliciting money to help police, fire fighters and veterans preyed on some people right here in Bowling Green.

The sheriff says when he got suspicious, the attorney general's office did too.

"You have legitimate people that do these fundraisers, but these people weren't," Sheriff Gaines said.

Sheriff Gaines has seen a lot during his career.

So an alleged scheme to take money from folks in Warren County was easy to spot.

"I said, 'What is this for?' He said, 'We got a letter for bullet proof vests.' I said, 'Not from us you didn't.'"

Sheriff Gaines says earlier this year a number of people were getting letters asking for donations to help the sheriff's department -- except those letters weren't coming from Warren County.

"They were beating people out of their money."

So the sheriff called the attorney general and on Monday a settlement was reached.

The United States Deputy Sheriff's Association will donate some $72,000 to local sheriff's offices in Kentucky.

That comes after it and a solicitation company allegedly misrepresented themselves to folks across the Bluegrass.

"$70,000 will be distributed across the state of Kentucky and that's not that big a deal. But the big deal is we stopped them from doing it," Gaines said.

It's something the sheriff hopes will keep some organizations from preying on Kentuckians.

"I'm just glad that we found out and I'm just glad the attorney general's office uncovered it."

Sheriff Gaines says if you ever get asked to donate to a law enforcement organization, call and check to make sure the request is coming from that organization.

An attorney representing the U.S. Deputy Sheriff's Association says the group didn't admit any wrongdoing.