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State investigates possible church scams
Nov 21, 2009 (Pasadena Star-News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
The California Attorney General's Office is investigating four people and three leasing companies who may have taken part in scamming more than 30 black churches in Southern California, including one in San Bernardino, officials said Friday.
California Attorney General Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr. announced the investigation into those who ran two companies that leased computer kiosks to churches, as well as three national leasing companies that may have been complicit in the alleged fraud.
Michael Morris, Willie Perkins, Tonya Wilson and Wayne Wilson, who operated companies called Urban Interfaith Network and Television Broadcasting Online since 2000, are targeted in the probe, officials said.
"These individuals sold the churches on the promise of free services and advertising revenue," Brown said in a written statement. "Instead, the churches were enticed into expensive leases, which the leasing companies aggressively enforced, even after learning of the alleged scam."
Urban Interfaith Network and Television Broadcasting Online operate nationwide, officials said.
The California investigation is looking into alleged scams also at churches in Rialto, Murrieta, Perris, Riverside , Pasadena, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Moreno Valley and Pomona.
Morris, Perkins, Tonya Wilson and Wayne Wilson convinced churches to take computer kiosks by pitching them as cost-free devices that could be used as electronic messaging boards, to print
coupons from local retailers and to generate revenue, officials said.
"Churches were left with leases as high as $45,000 per year for what amounted to little more than desktop computers and printers housed in podium-sized wooden boxes," according to a statement.
Representatives from Urban Interfaith Network and Television Broadcasting Online could not be reached for comment Friday.
A Web site for Urban Interfaith Network was taken offline Friday, however content was still stored on the Internet.
According to the Web site, "The Urban Interfaith Network facilitates mutually beneficial, community based partnerships between enlightened corporate partners and the African-American church in America."
Leasing companies Balboa Capital Corp., United Leasing Associated of America Ltd. and Banc of America Leasing and Capital LLC are also being investigated.
"Even after learning of the alleged scam, leasing companies continue to aggressively enforce the terms of the leases, filing lawsuits against churches to collect payment, interest and late fees," according to a written statement from the Attorney General's Office.
Officials also allege that the leasing companies assured church officials that the churches would not be responsible for leasing costs.
The people behind the two kiosk companies being investigated in California have already drawn suspicion elsewhere in the country.
In October, officials said, prosecutors filed charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit false pretenses over $20,000 and false pretenses over $20,000 and fraudulently obtaining a signature against Morris and Perkins.
To see more of the Pasadena Star-News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, Pasadena
Star-News, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For
reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or
847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group
Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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