The head of a New York-based charity pocketed nearly all the money raised through a car-donation program, and state investigators are looking into whether 15 other charities misused funds raised the same way, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said yesterday.

Many nonprofit organizations solicit used-car donations as a way to bolster their fund-raising, Cuomo told reporters at a Manhattan news conference.

The groups collect the vehicles and sell them, presumably using the money for charitable programs. The owner of the car can also claim a tax credit for making the donation.

Cuomo’s office filed a lawsuit in state court against Feed the Hungry, in which it accused the group’s proprietor, Nick Cascone, of misusing car-donation money.

Cuomo said a review of Feed the Hungry’s practices found that less than 2 percent of the $430,000 the group raised from its car-donation program from 2002-2009 had gone to charitable purposes, and that Cascone had kept the rest for personal use.

A telephone message left at Cascone’s home was not returned.