'Capitalizing off my kid's tragedy' | Deer Park caterer at center of Thanksgiving fiasco now accused of pocketing charity raffle donations

The owner of Maddhouse Catering started a charity raffle for Brayden Millon's family in August. It's now November and the family has yet to see a dime.

HUFFMAN, Texas — We are learning new information about the Deer Park caterer who’s accused of leaving families high and dry on Thanksgiving.

A Houston-area family said the same caterer ran a charity raffle for their injured son and kept the money for himself.

Brayden Millon’s family said the owner of Maddhouse Catering started a charity raffle in August — a few weeks after Brayden’s accident. It’s now November and he hasn’t reached out.

“I thought … it’s just somebody trying to capitalize on my kid’s tragedy, and that’s not OK,” said Jason Millon, Brayden’s father.

Jason spent the last four months by his son’s side helping him recover after a nearly fatal accident.

“Got a phone call that Brayden fell off the roof,” Jason said. “The call was so distraught, I knew it was serious.”

Brayden nearly spent 60 days in the hospital after falling off the roof of a movie theater while he worked on an A/C unit.

“At the beginning, it was really touch and go. Is he going to make it? Is he going to pull through?” Jason said.

While the family focused on Brayden’s recovery, they learned the owner of Maddhouse Catering launched a charity raffle in Brayden’s name. Friends like Tamara Smith started donating.

“You think you’re doing a raffle and that’s what it’s going to,” Smith said.

But months later, Brayden’s family has seen nothing.

“Never seen a dime. Never spoke to him. To this day, I haven’t talked to Lance in years and years and years,” Jason said.

Smith wants to know where her money went, too.

“It was pretty crappy. I mean, who does that?” Smith said.

The family realized last weekend that the man who they said pocked money from their tragedy is the same man who allegedly pocketed thousands of dollars for non-delivered catered Thanksgiving meals.

“When you see something like this, you think it’s a scam,” Jason said.

Now, Brayden and his family speaking out.

“It ticks me off and it ticked a whole lot of other people off, too,” Brayden said.

They’re warning people not to send the man who runs Maddhouse Catering another dime and hoping those who already did are made whole.

“I just want these people to get their money back and do what’s right,” Jason said.

KHOU 11 News has repeatedly reached out to the catering company since Friday and has not heard back. The owner did post on Facebook that he was going to refund everyone. We’ve yet to hear from anyone who got their money back. Meanwhile, Deer Park Police said an investigation is underway.

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