Georgia church leaders indicted in alleged $22 million fraud concentrating on veterans

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Federal prosecutors have indicted the founder and a number of other leaders of the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America , accusing the Georgia-based ministry of operating a decades-long, $22 million fraud scheme that focused U.S. navy members and veterans.

Following the indictment, the FBI on Wednesday carried out a raid close to Augusta, Georgia , arresting leaders after years of allegations that the church operated like a cult and preyed on navy communities nationwide.

FBI Atlanta public affairs specialist Jenna Sellitto confirmed to Fox Information Digital it carried out a raid at a house in Columbia County, Georgia, and made licensed arrests associated to the church investigation.

Sellitto stated she couldn't instantly launch the identities of these taken into custody.

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Cut up of HOPCC leaders and the Meeting of Prayer church in Augusta, Georgia. (Google Maps)

The fees come after the FBI in June 2022 raided a minimum of three church buildings related to the Home of Prayer Christian Church buildings in Georgia and Texas, established simply miles from Fort Gordon, Fort Stewart and Fort Hood.

Following the 2022 raid, the Division of Justice (DOJ) filed a forfeiture movement for nearly $150,000 claiming the church and its Bible seminary swindled lots of of navy members out of greater than $22 million.

The indictment, filed Thursday within the Southern District of Georgia, expenses church founder Rony Denis and church leaders Anthony Oloans, 54, Joseph Fryar, 51, Dennis Nostrand, 55, Gerard Robertson, 57, David Reip, 52, Marcus Labat, 42, and Omar Garcia, 40, with a collection of crimes together with financial institution fraud, wire fraud, misuse of Division of Veterans Affairs (VA) schooling advantages and false tax returns.

Denis, whose true identification stays unknown however who obtained U.S. citizenship in 2002, is accused of exercising strict management over members by way of intimidation, manipulation and compelled obedience, in keeping with the indictment.

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Church leaders allegedly collected greater than $5.2 million in rental revenue from 2018 to 2020, in keeping with the indictment. (iStock)

Leaders allegedly aided within the manipulation by sustaining members’ private data, controlling their funds and orchestrating divorces and property transfers.

Courting again to a minimum of 2004, prosecutors allege the church orchestrated "straw purchaser actual property purchases," utilizing church members’ names to acquire mortgages underneath false pretenses after which transferring the properties to entities underneath its management.

Church leaders allegedly collected greater than $5.2 million in rental revenue from 2018 to 2020 whereas permitting mortgages to default, in keeping with the indictment.

Prosecutors additionally accuse the leaders of defrauding the VA by falsely certifying college students for GI Invoice advantages by way of HOPCC-affiliated Bible seminaries.

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The Home of Prayer Christian Church has a location close to Fort Stewart in Georgia, which was additionally raided by authorities in 2022. (AP Photograph/Russ Bynum)

Funds meant for veterans’ schooling have been as an alternative diverted to church leaders and affiliated entities, in keeping with the indictment.

Along with the opposite crimes, courtroom paperwork word Denis allegedly aided in submitting false joint tax returns in 2018, 2019 and 2020, leading to claims of lots of of 1000's of fraudulent refunds annually.

In a movement to designate the case as complicated and exclude time underneath the Speedy Trial Act, prosecutors declare they reviewed greater than 175 financial institution accounts, carried out dozens of witness interviews, executed 5 search warrants throughout 4 states, and seized greater than 100 digital gadgets and 80 packing containers of paperwork.

"The defendants are accused of exploiting belief, religion, and even the service of our nation’s navy members to complement themselves," stated Paul Brown, particular agent answerable for FBI Atlanta. "This indictment makes clear that utilizing coercion, manipulation, and fraud underneath the guise of faith won't defend wrongdoers from accountability."

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Greater than 200 grand jury subpoenas have been issued within the alleged fraud schemes, which spanned almost 20 years and concerned 150 to 200 properties, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.

Denis is being represented by legal professional Steven Sadow, who was lead counsel for President Donald Trump throughout his Georgia election interference case . Sadow couldn't instantly be reached for remark.

The Division of Homeland Safety and Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn't instantly reply to Fox Information Digital's requests for extra details about Denis' citizenship standing and identification.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox Information Digital journalist who covers breaking information, with a deal with high-impact occasions that form nationwide dialog.

She has coated main nationwide crises, together with the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror assault, and Texas Hill Nation floods.