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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania attorney general says two Ohio men and their telemarketing companies must pay $10.8 million to settle deceptive fundraising claims. The settlement announced Thursday involves Phillip Howells and Martin Vernello and their companies, Phil's Productions and MVP Productions. Investigators say the Ohio-based firms sold concert tickets and called people claiming the proceeds would benefit firefighters unions in the western Pennsylvania towns of Butler, McKeesport, New Castle and Sharon. Among other things, the callers falsely claimed to be firefighters or police and said that 100 percent of donations or concert proceeds would benefit scholarships, food banks or other charities. The $10.8 million settlement includes a civil penalty, court costs and restitution. The men and their companies are barred from doing business in Pennsylvania until it's paid in full. Their attorneys didn't immediately comment.

2 Ohio firms to pay $10.8M in Pennsylvania fundraising case