Ex-California pastor gets 14 years after $33M fraud scheme

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP) — A former Southern California pastor was sentenced Friday to 14 years in federal prison for masterminding a church-based investment scheme that bilked hundreds of victims of more than $33 million.

The former pastor of the Westminster-based Church for the Healthy Self, Kent R.E. Whitney, was ordered to pay more than $22 million in restitution. He pleaded guilty last year to mail fraud and filing a false federal income tax return.

The Securities and Exchange Commission says Whitney and his co-pastor allegedly targeted the Vietnamese community in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme.

Whitney founded the church and operated it out of an Orange County strip mall . The church did not appear to have a sanctuary, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-california-c974166698e48ce8be5f1c1b566aa864

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. California ex-pastor. Sentenced in California. Former pastor, not ex-California.

I know ... headline writers

(not OP)

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Church in strip mall

yes that is a red flag. All that cash flow and no divine real estate. Usually they take a 2 million mortgage for the erection of their palace to themselves in the name of Jesus. Something amiss on this one from the get go.

[left-of-center2012]

4. I do not attend church there but ...

There is a small highly rated church near me that is located in a strip mall.
They have a small congregation and are very active in outreach to the local homeless population.

The appearance doesn't look like much but apparently they put their money into their work and not into their building.

[NullTuples]

18. One might think that if these churches were legit, the type of storefront shouldn't matter

Shopping mall space goes unused these days.
Same for many business park buildings.
One would think that prime real estate with opulent buildings is a red flag, too.

[gab13by13]

3. Just coincidently,

I am reading Stranger in a Strange Land. I have 1 chapter left to read. I laughed when I heard that this book had been banned in places, I can see why. I love reading banned books, they should be required reading.

OK, from the book; the main character makes the statement; there are thousands of religions in the world all claiming to be the 1 true religion. He then says maybe we are looking at this wrong, maybe they are all the 1 true religion since religion is based on faith.

[keithbvadu2]

6. No one can belong to all of those 1 true religions so no one is going to heaven.

No one can belong to all of those 1 true religions so no one is going to heaven.

[Farmer-Rick]

9. Yup, you have to pick one

They can't all possibly be true because many of those religions contradict each other. It's not like they are all some version of Christianity. Some of them even believe in numerous gods.

They all cannot be true because their beliefs frequently nullify fundimental beliefs of the other religions. It's like saying both atheism and theism are true. That's just nonsense.

[NullTuples]

19. Not true; my MIL was baptized / initialized in every religion her mom could find

You know, just in case...

[keithbvadu2]

20. She better not have missed any.

[NullTuples]

21. It's okay; every one of them said THEY were the ONE TRUE RELIGION.

So she's got like, 20x religious trueness going for her.

IIR her mother didn't actually have any religious beliefs - she just wanted to diversify the portfolio, so to speak.

[3Hotdogs]

5. That Jesus fella, ya notice one thing about him......

he's always broke..... always needs money.

Maybe someone should pull his shirttails about this guy, Dave Ramsey.

[flying_wahini]

7. We absolutely need to Tax the Churches.

[AllaN01Bear]

8. we can put him away for 14 years but no one has ever touched lard lips .

[Sneederbunk]

10. Whitney's self not so healthy these days.

[Old Crank]

11. God's will be done

Now the flock is poor and he is in jail.

[FakeNoose]

12. Bernie Maddoff lives on

Lock this guy up and throw away the key!

[jmbar2]

13. The guy has quite a history. Fraudster first, reinvents himself as a preacher

Disgusting... Lock him up


https://www.ocweekly.com/fraudster-left-prison-became-pastor-stole-25-million-from-followers-sec/

[dupagelib]

14. Prosperity Gospel

Thank you Normand Vincent Peale

[Turbineguy]

15. If you fleece the flock

carry a Glock.

[marble falls]

16. He's got a pile somewhere. But he'll serve most of those fourteen ...

... he's counting on 45 being able to reprieve him.

[Bengus81]

17. Doing the Lord's work...........

Why the FUCK is that POS Baker back on TV?

[ck4829]

22. K&R