Financial Crime News 07/30/2023
Jul 29, 2023(July 29) LDS Church Sues Insurance Providers Over Sex Abuse Settlement Costs | Salt Lake City, UT
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has filed a lawsuit against its insurance providers, demanding they cover the costs of a child sexual abuse lawsuit settlement.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, seeks to compel National Union Insurance and ACE Property & Casualty Co. to cover the financial settlement terms of a 2013 child sexual abuse case in West Virginia.
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(July 28) Ponzi Scheme Raised $35 Million From Church Members, SEC Alleges | FL
A Florida man collected $35 million from 60 mostly elderly investors whom he met through church and then conducted unprofitable trades, misappropriated millions of dollars, and made Ponzi-like payments to keep the scheme afloat, the SEC alleged Thursday.
Brent Seaman and several of his companies and funds agreed to a two-part settlement in which they accepted injunctions but will have the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida decide whether they should pay disgorgement, interest, and civil penalties, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission press release.
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(July 28) Alleged Burglar Caught Using Credit Card Stolen From Frederick Church | Frederick,MD
A man is in custody after police say he burglarized seven churches throughout Frederick County.
Vittorio Lane, 36 of Sykesville, allegedly committed the break-ins between May 25 and July 4.
Investigators recently developed Lane as the suspect when he used a credit card stolen from a church at several local stores.
He's now being held without bail on a slew of burglary and theft charges. Lane is next due in court August 24.
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(July 27) Former Diocese Of Rockville Centre Employee Accused Of Stealing Over $400K From Church Over 3 Years |
Iris Gomez of East Islip, 39, was was arraigned on Monday, July 24 on charges connected to the alleged embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars from Seaford and Rockville Centre churches that she had previously been employed at, according to the Nassau County District Attorney.
Gomez had been employed as an office assistant by the Diocese of Rockville Centre employee and the St. William the Abbot Roman Catholic Church, and over the course of three years she pilfered over $450,000 from the two organizations, according to officials.
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(July 27) Massena Man Accused Of Church Burglary | Massena, MY
A Massena man is accused of breaking into a church rectory.
Massena Police say 51 year old Robert Yekel broke a window to enter the St. Mary’s Church rectory on Cornell Avenue.
Yekel is accused of taking a cash box with $50 inside.
A pipe was also damaged, and between that and the window, $110 of damage was done, police said.
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