Greater Ministries International
Evangelical ministry | |
Industry | Religion |
Founded | 1993, Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
Headquarters | Tampa, Florida |
Key people | Gerald Payne, Director |
Greater Ministries International was an Evangelical Christian ministry that ran a Ponzi scheme taking nearly 500 million dollars from 18,000 people.[1] Headed by Gerald Payne in Tampa, Florida, the ministry bribed church leaders around the United States.[2] Payne and other church elders promised the church members double their money back, citing Biblical scripture.[3] However, nearly all the money was lost and hidden away.[4] Church leaders received prison sentences ranging from twelve and half years to 27 years.[5]
The group had ties to Stayton, Oregon-based Embassy of Heaven,[2] run by Glen Stoll, which was later closed by the Justice Department.[6]
Their group founded a newspaper, the "Greater Bible College" in Tampa, a line of "Greater Live" herbal remedies, cancer treatments ("We actually pull the cancer right out of your stomach", Payne claimed.), a supplement called "Beta 1, 3rd Glucan" (to survive "end-times plagues",) and plans for "Greater Lands", an independent country (an "Ecclesiastical Domain ... similar to the Vatican") where other governments would have no jurisdiction.[7]
References
- ↑ Press, The Associated (14 July 2002). "Victims of church scam unlikely to recover losses". Sarasota Herald. Tampa. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- 1 2 "Extremism in America: Greater Ministries International". Anti-Defamation League. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-08-08. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
- ↑ ZOLL, RACHEL (August 13, 2006). "FOXNews.com - Religion-Related Fraud Getting Worse". www.foxnews.com. The Associated Press. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ "Greater Ministries International". CNBC. CNBC LLC. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Rawlings, Nate (7 March 2012). "Top 10 Swindlers". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Heckman, Candace (February 17, 2005). "Two Snohomish County men accused of anti-tax scheme". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
- ↑ "Federal Officials Charge that Florida-Based, Antigovernment Greater Ministries is Actually a Criminal Fraud". Southern Poverty Law Center. 15 June 1999. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
External links
- www.greater-ministries.com (GMI former website archived)
- Injunctions/press releases
- Ohio Division of Securities Obtains Injunction, August 24, 1999
- Pennsylvania Injunction, 1999
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, February 19, 2002
- Articles