Texas Radio Host Gets 3 Life Sentences For Scamming Millions From Elderly Listeners

[packman]

Source: Huffington Post

A Texas radio host was sentenced to three life prison sentences Monday for a Ponzi scheme in which he bilked elderly listeners out of millions of dollars.

William Neil “Doc” Gallagher also got a 30-year prison sentence from state District Judge Elizabeth Beach for his August guilty pleas. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

The sentencing came after more than a dozen senior victims testified during a three-hour court hearing about losing anywhere from $50,000 to $600,000 invested in the Gallagher Financial Group. Some said they had to sell their homes, borrow money from their children or take part-time jobs to supplement their Social Security benefits.

....

Gallagher, 80, and his Gallagher Financial Group advertised on Christian radio with the tagline, “See you in church on Sunday.” He promoted his investment business in books, such as “Jesus Christ, Money Master,” and on Christian radio broadcasts.



Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/radio-host-sentenced-bilking_n_61813255e4b06b9de8bb16e3

[PerceptionManagement]

1. Every cult has this shyster. ahem, Bernia Madoff

[greenjar_01]

6. Uh...

[cstanleytech]

28. Unfortunately there seem to be an awful lot of them among the right wing evangelical's that

prey with the power of prayer upon millions in this country.

[XanaDUer2]

2. Right-wing listeners on Social Security

The mind boggles.

[IronLionZion]

9. Even Ayn Rand took Social Security

Socialism is pretty sweet to some old RWers.

[SWBTATTReg]

18. I did not know this, wow! Such a hypocrite, ayn rand...far more than I ever thought, obviously!

Thanks for the info.

[calimary]

20. Yep. She did.

The more that’s known, the greater the tarnish on her name.

The more, the better!

[thesquanderer]

24. She'd probably say she was just taking her own money back. But also...

...to be honest, the fact that I'm against certain tax deductions wouldn't stop me from claiming them if I were entitled to them, either.

[Upthevibe]

3. Disgusting.....n/t

[COL Mustard]

4. Horrible. Just Horrible.

I have family members who would likely fall for something like this, because "He's a good Christian man". I don't know these people can sleep at night.

At least he's going to be a guest of the State of Texas for the rest of his life.

[NCjack]

5. "advertised on Christian radio" is a deadly harpoon.

[Nictuku]

7. Does he get 3 Eternities in Hell for this?

[reACTIONary]

16. He has already prayed for forgiveness and...

... the fix is in. Praise the lord.

[7wo7rees]

8. Don't eat at a place called Mom's

Don't buy a car from someone named Honest John
and don't play cards with anyone named Doc.

Now you know.

[IronLionZion]

11. What's the issue with Mom's?

That seems like a common one.

[reACTIONary]

17. Mom's home cooking...

... at home, not at Mom's.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

19. It's from Nelson Algren's 1951 novel A Walk On The Wild Side

Advice given to the protagonist, "Never play cards with a man called Doc. Never eat at a place called Mom's. Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own."

"Never play cards with a man named Doc" is an old gambler's expression. "Never eat at a place called Mom's” reflects the fact that there were many restaurants called "Mom's" in midcentury America, few of them any good. "Never go to bed with somebody whose troubles are worse than your own" is based on Algren's history of getting involved with people who were in worse straits than himself.

I can personally attest to the one about never sleeping with a woman whose troubles are worse than mine.

[markbark]

25. I had always heard

the ""Never go to bed with somebody whose troubles are worse than your own" rule stated as "never sleep with anyone crazier than yourself"

.....which leaves a lot of leeway in my case

[grantcart]

23. One of my fantasies if I ever won the lottery is to start a diner called "Mom's"

and hire an actress to play an overbearing mid western mother who would stand at the door and instead of saying "welcome" would say

"It's about time, did you wash your hands, let me see. You can't visit Mom more often? Hurry up and eat I need to talk to you about a call I got from your teacher".

Thus giving middle aged business people a Don Rickles like experience. Guessing it would be great for alcohol sales.

[sarcasmo]

35. And you don't mess around with Jim.

[cojoel]

10. There's a book "Jesus Christ, Money Master"?

Obviously not the same Jesus Christ who threw the money changers out of the temple...

[calimary]

21. Indeed.

[bucolic_frolic]

12. The world runs on con men, creating delusions in the public mind

It's a technique of control and power. Yet the masses keep falling for it.

[Probatim]

13. If they really wanted to go after these guys, they could have a federal prison full of them.

Just because you're a "man of gawd" doesn't mean you get to steal from the rubes.

[Fla Dem]

14. He's 80, so has lived most of his life already. Maybe 10-15 years behind bars.

Still not a great way to live out your remaining years. Tough luck. Christian personalities are all scammers. All have gotten filthy rich preaching the "Good Word".

[Champp]

15. Republican-style "ChristoGrifting"

Don't know for sure how this ChristoGrifter was registered to vote, but it seems 99.9% certain that he holds "Republican family values."

[calimary]

22. Dayum! ChristoGrifter! Good term!

Is that a Champp Original? This lapsed Catholic heartily approves!

[Champp]

26. #ChristoGrifter now going viral

I think an angel brought the term "ChristoGrifter" down from heaven to shame the Fake Republican Christians who poison the well of religion and society.

[slightlv]

27. I love the term!

And, as the grandchild of a preacher, I heartily agree!!!!

Christogrifter=prosperity gospel -- neither equals the Truth as taught by a man known (if there was such a man) as Jesus Christo!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

29. Lock him up!!!!!

[traitorsgalore]

30. Imagining what his "investors" were, likely repuke bigots, faux xtians, etc...no sympathy from me

He preyed on their self-induced ignorance, no different than what Fox News does 24/7. Of course I'd have given the guy 100 years in jail instead of 30, just to send a message to all other grifter repukes.

[Initech]

31. Yeah fuck that guy!

[TrogL]

32. Hmmm...Prosperity Gospel doesn't seem so prosperous

[onetexan]

33. Question now is how to find the money this con swindled from the poor elderly and return it to them

scamming people in the name of Jesus...SMH

[sarcasmo]

34. How many years are Joel Osteen and Pat Robertson getting?

[MissMillie]

36. Jesus ran the money-makers out of the temple

according to the bible.

Anyone using the name of Jesus to collect money should be suspect.

[Mysterian]

37. So many preachers out there doing the same thing

But they are promising eternal life in Happyland so it's legal.