Fort Lauderdale, FL – The down economy already has South Florida charities in pain, as donations have fallen dramatically as potential donors face unemployment or pay cuts. Now, they’re being asked to return money they already have, donations that may have come from the proceeds of attorney Scott Rothstein’s alleged Ponzi scheme believed to have defrauded people of as much as a billion dollars.

The Florida Sun Sentinel reports  letters from the senior judge responsible for dismantling Rothstein’s law firm have been sent to charities that received money from Rothstein, demanding the donations be returned. Under the law, the courts are allowed to make the demand.

As many as 30 charities have received the letters, demanding the money be returned within 10 days. If the charities don’t comply, they could be sued.

The news could be devastating to charities already in trouble. Some may have a difficult time complying because the money has been spent, and other donations are not keeping place with demand.

There was no list of charities made public, but it’s been reported Rothstein gave to a wide number of organizations, including the Dan Marino foundation, the American Heart Association, the Jewish Federation of Broward and the Boys and Girls clubs of Broward.

The Broward Humane Society said it received $45 thousand in various donations, auction bids, and payments from Rothstein over 4 years.

And at Rothstein’s spiritual home, a new building off Broward Boulevard whose front proclaimed “The Rothstein Family Downtown Jewish Center Chabad,” his name has been stripped away.

Like some politicians who had received campaign contributions from Rothstein, some charities have already returned his donated funds, unwilling to be associated with a man alleged to have stolen a Billion dollars. Habitat for Humanity returned $5 thousand, according to the Sun-Sentinel report.

Rothstein has not been charged with a crime, although he faces a host of civil lawsuits. His law firm has been virtually dismantled, and he has been disbarred.

(Source: Sun Sentinel / CBS4)