Texas deputies are investigating allegations that residents paid for barbecue plates promoted as a fundraiser for a family grieving the death of a son, but received neither the promised food nor evidence that the family received the money.
Investigators say Lisa Miculka began approaching people in Guadalupe County around March 2026. She allegedly claimed that proceeds from the plate sales would help a neighboring family whose son had died in a motorcycle crash.
The Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office has not disclosed how many people paid, the price of each plate or the total amount allegedly collected. Deputies are seeking additional reports to establish the number of potential victims and financial loss.
The Family Received None of the Collected Money
Miculka allegedly approached residents and offered to sell them barbecue plates, presenting the purchases as a way to support the local family after the fatal crash. People who paid did not receive the food they had purchased, the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies said the family whose loss was used to promote the fundraiser received none of the money collected in its name. Investigators have not said how Miculka allegedly learned about the son’s death or whether the family knew that its circumstances were being presented to prospective buyers.
Deputies are continuing to identify people who paid and determine how much money was allegedly collected.
Deputies Cited an Earlier Fake-Raffle Allegation
The Sheriff’s Office said Miculka has a documented history of similar conduct and cited an earlier arrest by Seguin police involving purported charity raffle tickets.
Police previously alleged that she sold tickets while claiming the money would help children with cancer, although no legitimate raffle or charitable benefit existed.
The current investigation concerns the separate barbecue-plate allegations. No new arrest or criminal charge tied specifically to those sales was announced with the Sheriff’s Office warning.
Payment Records Can Help Deputies Calculate the Loss
Residents who paid electronically should save the recipient’s username, telephone number or email address, transaction identification number, amount and date. Cash buyers should preserve any ticket, receipt, message or witness who was present when the payment occurred.
If the payment was made through a bank card or payment app, the buyer can also contact the provider through its official app or website and report that the promised goods were never delivered. The Federal Trade Commission recommends retaining records of charitable payments and checking account statements to confirm that only the authorized amount was charged.
Guadalupe County residents who believe they paid Miculka are being asked to make a report with a deputy. The Sheriff’s Office’s 24-hour nonemergency number is 830-379-1224.
Confirm a Family Fundraiser With the Family It Claims to Help
A small community fundraiser may not operate through a registered charity, but the person collecting money should still be able to explain who authorized it, how proceeds will reach the beneficiary and when purchasers will receive the food or other item being sold.
Before paying, buyers can contact the named family through an independently obtained number or ask a trusted person close to the family whether the fundraiser is authorized. Contact information supplied only by the seller should not be treated as independent verification.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office advises donors to ask specific questions about who will receive the money, how it will be used and whether any portion will pay fundraising expenses.