Financial Crime News 11/06/2023

(November 02) New Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Latter-day Saint Church Over Alleged 'Misuse' Of Donations | Salt Lake City, UT

A new federal lawsuit filed against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims church leadership uses “false pretenses” to solicit donations from its membership.

The lawsuit claims for decades the Church has “secreted donations” to their investment managers at Ensign Peak Advisors, Inc. to be used in ways “to avoid public scrutiny and accountability to donors.”

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday, October 31 on behalf of Daniel Chappell, Masen Christensen, and John Oaks in the US District Court of Utah, Central Division.

Plaintiffs echoed 2019 claims made by David A. Nielson, a former senior portfolio manager for Ensign Peak Advisers. Nielson claimed the Church “stockpiled” $100 billion in charitable donations “instead of using them for charitable works.”

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(October 31) Burglars Target Legacy Church Ahead Of Trunk-Or-Treat Event | Albuquerque, N.M.

Thieves put one of Albuquerque’s largest trunk-or-treat events in jeopardy this weekend. They struck just hours before a huge event for the community at Legacy Church.

“Yes, things were stolen here,” said Legacy Church Children’s Pastor Evalani Stockton-Nieto. “Physical things, candy, tents, things that we needed to make this event happen, but the enemy could not steal what God’s hand was over.”

If you were one of the families attending, you probably didn’t notice their facility was broken into and robbed just hours before the event.

“We got a call about 7 a.m. that the window had been shattered, broken into, and also our gates, locks had been cut open, and things had been stolen,” Pastor Stockton-Nieto said.

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(October 31) Audrain County Man, Two Minors Accused Of Stealing From Community Church | Columbia, MO

An 18-year-old was arrested and a juvenile was detained Saturday after multiple reported burglaries and thefts from and of vehicles in the Rush Hill and Laddonia areas. 

Wyatt Bradley, of Rush Hill, is charged with two counts of burglary in the second degree, four felony counts of stealing, two counts of tampering with a motor vehicle, institutional vandalism, and a misdemeanor charge of stealing across four separate cases. 

A juvenile suspect was also detained for their alleged involvement and turned over to the Audrain County Juvenile Office, according to a Facebook post from the Audrain County Sheriff's Office. Deputies are also seeking another juvenile suspect who was allegedly involved in the crimes and was not "currently in the immediate area."

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(October 27) Mobile Man Accused Of Stealing Copper From Church | Mobile, AL

A Mobile man is behind bars after allegedly stealing copper from a local church.

Benjamin Brantley Cawthon, 45, is charged with first-degree theft of property, according to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office website.

Saturday, Oct. 21, officers responded to a theft complaint at Christ United Methodist Church, located at 6101 Grelot Road.

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(October 27) Police: Man Steals Speakers, Battery Charger, Pepsi Bottle From Bronx Church | Bronx, NY

Police say a suspect is wanted for stealing from a church on Parker Street in the Bronx.
According to the NYPD, the man walked into the unlocked Capilla Evangelical Church and took $400 speakers, a $70 battery charger and a 2-liter bottle of Pepsi.
He then got away on a red bike.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call police.

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