By Sharon Coolidge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Kenneth Arron signed a letter last May promising that his charitable foundation would give the Taft Museum of Art $19,000.

But after the museum awarded two extra scholarships, to be paid from that fund, officials discovered the foundation was fake. There was no money.

Authorities say the would-be philanthropist, lauded as a high-buck contributor to several area groups, is a charming con man who worked to ingratiate himself among Cincinnati's elite.

The 41-year-old Hyde Park man remains jailed in Hamilton County on a forgery charge related to the Taft case.

Cincinnati Police Det. Timothy Tighe is investigating Arron and similar promises he made to other nonprofit groups. The same day Arron held a news conference to announce his Taft Museum gift, he made promises to give $32,000 to other charities. He also pledged to set up a veterinary research fund with $75,000.

None of those contributions was made, Tighe said.

Taft Museum, however, honored the scholarships.

"He wanted to seem legitimate ..." Tighe said. "He could talk your shoes off you."

Jack Rubenstein, Arron's attorney, said he has seen no evidence to support the charge. He said his client would plead innocent at today's hearing.

Authorities said Arron told organizations he was the executive director of the Body Chemistre Cares Foundation. Arron worked on commission for Body Chemistre, a Chicago-based company. There is no such foundation associated with Body Chemistre, a company spokesman said.

"He was going around making pledges for donations in our name, everyone loved him for it, then they called us and we didn't know anything about it," said Thomas Stratigakes. "It was hard, we had to disappoint them."

E-mail scoolidge@enquirer.com