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Open Forums for ExChristian.Net > Rants and Replies > Preacher convicted in $9 million scam

Posted by: TexasFreethinker Feb 8 2005, 05:09 AM

From today's Dallas Morning News

QUOTE

Preacher convicted in $9 million scam
He bilked hundreds of small black churches in pyramid scheme

07:47 PM CST on Monday, February 7, 2005

Associated Press

ATLANTA – A preacher was convicted Monday of stealing nearly $9 million from hundreds of small black churches across the country by promising them big returns on small investments.

Abraham Kennard was found guilty by a federal jury in Rome, Ga., on 116 counts, including fraud and evasion.

Prosecutors said he ran a pyramid scheme that took advantage of the tight network of black preachers to which he belonged.

"I know you can see clearly it was a scheme, all right. And for some 1,600 churches, it was a nightmare," prosecutor David McClernan said during closing arguments.

Mr. Kennard, 46, of Wildwood, Ga., said that he was not guilty of anything.

"It's not a law against riding in a Cadillac if you don't want to ride in a Volkswagen," Mr. Kennard, who represented himself, said in his opening remarks.

He is scheduled to be sentenced April 15.

Prosecutors said Mr. Kennard claimed his company was developing Christian resorts around the country. He told preachers that for a fee of a few thousand dollars, their churches could be "members" of his company. In return, he promised that in time the churches would get a grant or a forgivable loan of up to $500,000.

The scheme spread as the trusting ministers told their friends, relatives and fellow pastors.

Posted by: Karl Feb 8 2005, 06:50 AM

Lock the guy up.

Throw away the key.

K

Posted by: fortunehooks Feb 8 2005, 07:12 AM

oops, followers of the establishment are at it again. stealing,lying,cheating,and above all denying that any of these sins took place in the first place. it's just ashame that the black churches were juked by a black wolf.

Posted by: Reach Feb 8 2005, 07:13 AM

QUOTE (TexasFreethinker @ Feb 8 2005, 05:09 AM)

QUOTE (Dallas Morning News)

In return, he promised that in time the churches would get a grant or a forgivable loan of up to $500,000.

The scheme spread as the trusting ministers told their friends, relatives and fellow pastors.

A forgivable loan of up to $500,000?

Damn gullible ministers!!!

Posted by: Karl Feb 8 2005, 02:31 PM

QUOTE (fortunehooks @ Feb 8 2005, 10:12 AM)

There's plenty who were juked by a white wolf by the name of Pat Robertson.

He belongs in the slammer, right along with Kennard, IMO.

K

Posted by: Clergicide Feb 8 2005, 02:40 PM

QUOTE

"It's not a law against riding in a Cadillac if you don't want to ride in a Volkswagen," Mr. Kennard, who represented himself, said in his opening remarks.

I resent that, I drive a Jetta.

They don't catch these guys often enough. when are they gonna arrest this asshole:

user posted image

Posted by: JP1283 Feb 8 2005, 07:02 PM

One might wonder why God would allow this to happen to so many of his churches...

Posted by: nivek Feb 8 2005, 07:06 PM

I don't see a single bit o'problem here folks..

Churches via their leadership gave this cat their money.

Cat makes his payments on his life and style before business needs are taken care of..

What is the bitch? DaGoodLarde is in charge, dontcha KNOW?

F00kin' unbelievers anyway... Sheeze..
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SUCKERS

n

Posted by: Mr. Neil Feb 8 2005, 08:17 PM

QUOTE (JP1283 @ Feb 8 2005, 10:02 PM)

One might wonder why God would allow this to happen to so many of his churches...

Three possibilities.

1. God is evil.
2. God doesn't care.
3. God doesn't exist.

What amuses me is the way our Christian visitors strain to reject all three of these propositions.

Posted by: Fweethawt Feb 8 2005, 08:27 PM

All preachers steal continuously...

First, they start with you mind,
then everything else is fringe
benefit.

Posted by: fortunehooks Feb 9 2005, 07:05 AM

QUOTE (Karl @ Feb 8 2005, 05:31 PM)

QUOTE (fortunehooks @ Feb 8 2005, 10:12 AM)

There's plenty who were juked by a white wolf by the name of Pat Robertson.

He belongs in the slammer, right along with Kennard, IMO.

K

karl, i wasn't necessarily referring to the guy's race Karl. i am black myself, but i see how that can cause some turbulence.

you are correct, bro.pat steals all the time and nobody wants to stop him in his inner circle that numbered in the millions.

Posted by: ChefRanden Feb 9 2005, 04:43 PM

QUOTE (Karl @ Feb 8 2005, 08:50 AM)

Lock the guy up.

Throw away the key.

K

Not at all. He should be cloned!

The less money a church has the less harm it can do.

Posted by: Karl Feb 9 2005, 05:44 PM

QUOTE (JP1283 - Feb 8 2005 @ 10:02 PM)

One might wonder why God would allow this to happen to so many of his churches...

Not to mention all of biblegod's churches that were leveled in hurricanes and tornadoes. It was my impresson that believers were supposed to be saying "peace, be still" (as per "Jesus'" prophecy in John 14:12) and stopping that sort of stuff dead in its tracks.

QUOTE (Nivek - Feb 8 2005 @ 10:06 PM)

.....Churches via their leadership gave this cat their money...

They sure did. No excuses. Let's face it, it's dupery on all fronts.

QUOTE (Fweethawt - Feb 8 2005 @ 11:27 PM)

All preachers steal continuously...

First, they start with your mind,
then everything else is fringe
benefit.

The snake-handling preachers are especially dangerous examples of those who have totally lost everything.

QUOTE (fortunehooks - Feb 9 2005 @ 10:05 AM)

karl, i wasn't necessarily referring to the guy's race Karl. i am black myself, but i see how that can cause some turbulence.

I was aware of that, my friend. The Lesson here is that fine gold is fine gold, and it doesn't matter what color jewelry box one puts it in. And garbage is garbage, it doesn't matter what color trashbag one puts it in.

QUOTE (Chefranden - Feb 9 2005 @ 07:43 PM)

QUOTE (Karl - Feb 8 2005 @ 08:50 AM)

Lock the guy up. Throw away the key. K

Not at all. He should be cloned!

The less money a church has the less harm it can do.

Whoa, Chef!....

I understand the intent of your depletion strategy, but think about this for a minute: remember the 2nd and 3rd Matrix films, with all of the clones of Agent Smith?......

....now just imagine in a cloning frenzy, all those Smiths replaced by Robertsons or Falwells (!!!)

* SHUDDERING *

I think we'd better keep human cloning illegal....to me, this type of risk is just too great....

K

Posted by: Oberon Feb 10 2005, 11:58 AM

QUOTE (Mr. Neil @ Feb 8 2005, 08:17 PM)

QUOTE (JP1283 @ Feb 8 2005, 10:02 PM)

One might wonder why God would allow this to happen to so many of his churches...

Three possibilities.

1. God is evil.
2. God doesn't care.
3. God doesn't exist.

What amuses me is the way our Christian visitors strain to reject all three of these propositions.

I guess you should add:

4. God is powerless to help

Posted by: Mr. Neil Feb 10 2005, 12:16 PM

Yeah, I never thought of that one! That's definately something that Christians wouldn't care to admit. In fact, that's probably the one they'd avoid the most, since they simply can't admit that there's anything that renders God powerless.
So they're stuck with the intellectually bankrupt idea that there must be some justifiable esoteric reason that an eternally good God allows human suffering. When they start using that line of argumentation, I usually just shake my head and ask them if they even hear themselves when they talk.

Christian: "I phase in and out."

Posted by: Madame M Feb 10 2005, 03:52 PM

So why is this guy any different than a rich pastor who tells his congregants to give more than they can afford or they will be God robbers, but if they do give, they will recieve back more than they can ever need or use. Why aren't these guys arrested for scamming their congregants?