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Category: Black Collar Crime

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Robert Dell Accused of Operating a Theft Ring

Bruce Gerencser 2 Comments
pastor robert dell

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Robert Dell, the former pastor of The Rock Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, stands accused with his wife and others of stealing over $1.4 million worth of home improvement merchandise from Home Depot stores across Florida and reselling the goods on eBay.

The Tampa Bay Times reports:

Pinellas County pastor, his wife, and others are accused of stealing over $1.4 million worth of home improvement merchandise from Home Depot stores across Florida and reselling the goods on eBay, state officials said.

Robert Dell, 56, also “forced vulnerable people” to take part in the scheme, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced this week.

A news release from Moody’s office said Dell is a pastor at The Rock Church in St. Petersburg and the founder of a halfway house serving people recovering from drug addiction. But a note on the homepage of The Rock Church’s website says Dell hasn’t been pastor there for more than two years.

The news release names four other people as co-conspirators in the case: Jaclyn Dell, 39, who is Robert Dell’s wife; Karen Dell, 72, who is Robert Dell’s mother; Jessica Wild, 40; and Daniel Mace, 36.

Robert Dell, Jaclyn Dell, and Karen Dell were arrested on Aug. 1 after officers with the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement executed a search warrant at Robert Dell’s home on the 2600 block of 39th Avenue North in St. Petersburg. He is charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, and dealing in stolen property as an organizer.

Jaclyn Dell was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to commit racketeering and Karen Dell on a charge of dealing in stolen property.

Mace, of Tampa, was arrested Wednesday on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering.

Wild’s booking and charge information was not available.

According to Moody’s office, the group shoplifted Milwaukee, DeWalt, and other branded products from Home Depot stores in Citrus, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties.

Mace and Wild stole a majority of the merchandise and, “on average, victimized stores five to six times a day,” the release said. The pair then delivered the products to Robert Dell, who sold them on an eBay storefront named “Anointed Liquidator,” the release said.

“According to the investigation, Dell demanded the crimes under threat of abuse and used the positions of being a pastor and founder of a halfway house to manipulate other vulnerable people to participate in the criminal scheme,” the release stated.

The release did not give the name of the halfway house.

Home Depot suspects Robert Dell operated this scheme for more than 10 years, and that the company has lost more than $5 million, the release said.

Pinellas court records show a judge sealed search warrants and other documents related to the case at the request of prosecutors who argued that making information public could compromise an ongoing investigation.

In 2019, police arrested Wild and Mace on a grand theft charge for attempting to take nearly $4,500 worth of hardware batteries from a Clearwater Home Depot, according to an arrest affidavit in that case. The pair placed the batteries inside a bin, closed the lid, and attempted to exit the store when one of them “became scared/spooked” after spotting a loss prevention officer. The two left the merchandise by the door and exited the store, the affidavit said.

The affidavit states loss prevention officers knew Wild and Mace because they were seen at a Port Charlotte Home Depot earlier, taking batteries from the location. The pair told police they thought someone was following them and so they left the merchandise in the store.

Prosecutors dropped the case less than a month later, court records show.

An eBay account with the name “annointedliquidator” that has sold tools matching the brands named in the release was created in August 2011. The account has sold more than 35,000 items, according to the website.

While The Rock Church states:

the rock church statement

Dell operated this theft ring for ten years, including the time period when he was pastor of The Rock Church. To the church I say, “Nice try, but no cigar.”

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Christian School Employee Todd Baldwin Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

Bruce Gerencser 1 Comment
todd baldwin

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Todd Baldwin, an employee for Valley Christian Schools in San Jose, California, stands accused of felony possession and distribution of child sexual material.

The Christian Post reports:

Police in California are calling on victims to come forward to assist a child pornography investigation into a San Jose Christian school system facility worker arrested for allegedly giving students money to send him explicit images and videos.   

Todd Baldwin, a 43-year-old employee at the Valley Christian Schools, was arrested last week and charged with felony possession and distribution of child sexual material.

On Aug. 16, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force’s Child Exploit Detail was notified that a member of the facilities department at Valley Christian Schools was “in possession of explicit digital media of juveniles,” according to a public notice from the San Jose Police Department. 

Investigators identified Baldwin as the staff member who “allegedly paid students for providing the explicit images and video.” The task force arrested Baldwin the next day and served a search warrant for his campus office and San Jose residence. 

Baldwin was booked at Santa Clara County Main Jail. 

According to investigators, Valley Christian Schools immediately cooperated and assisted with the investigation. Authorities have not yet released information about where the alleged crimes took place or the ages of students involved.  

….

In a statement released to media, the school stated that it is “deeply disturbed by the actions outlined in these charges” against Baldwin and that those actions are “antithetical to our Christian faith, values, and standards.”

“Upon learning of the allegations, we fully cooperated with authorities,” the statement reads. “Additionally, we placed the individual in question on administrative leave.” 

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Jarod Mills Sentenced to Six Months in Jail for Attempted Sexual Contact with Minor

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
pastor jarod mills

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Jarod Mills, pastor of Clifton Flats Alliance Church in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and a part-time instructor at Butler County Community College was convicted of unlawful attempted sexual contact with a minor and sentenced to six months in jail.

In 2020, the Cranberry Eagle reported:

Ohio prosecutors recently filed a bill of particulars in the case, showing more detailed accusations against Jarod Mills, including the age and sex of the minor the undercover law enforcement officer portrayed in the sting.

Mills, a New Castle resident, faces charges of fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful conduct with a minor as well as fifth-degree felonies importuning, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles and possessing criminal tools.

The prosecutors accuse Mills of soliciting a law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old boy, and specifically accused him of soliciting the officer for oral sex.

He was arrested Oct. 22 and a Mahoning County grand jury indicted him Dec. 17.

Other documents filed in the case indicate Mills may have come in contact with the undercover officer on Grindr, which describes itself as a “social networking and online dating application for gay, bi, trans and queer people.”

That other filing, a response to Mills’ request for discovery, indicates prosecutors have as evidence screenshots of chats on Grindr, which include pornography. Another charge, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, may relate to those screenshots, as prosecutors allege Mills sent a sexually explicit photograph to the officer posing as a 15-year-old.

In addition, on the charge of attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, prosecutors accuse Mills of attempting to engage in oral sex with the officer. For the final charge, of possessing criminal tools, the bill of particulars states Mills possessed a cell phone, condoms and lubrication, which prosecutors allege he intended to use in the commission of importuning and attempted unlawful sexual contact.

New Castle News later reported:

A New Castle man accused of child sex trafficking and corrupting children in Ohio has been found guilty by a jury in Mahoning County Court.

The Ohio jury’s verdict was delivered Wednesday against 35-year-old Jarod Mills of West Terrace Avenue of unlawful attempted sexual contact with a minor.

Mill was arrested in Mahoning County in May 2021 in a sex sting operation by the Operation for Child Trafficking and Sex With Children. His bond has been revoked and he’s remains in the Mahoning County jail, awaiting sentencing.

He was a pastor at the Clifton Flats Church at the time.

Mills was one of 14 people arrested in 2020 in what Ohio’s attorney general called the “largest anti-human trafficking operation in state history.”

Mills is charged with attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, importuning or soliciting of an adolescent, possessing criminal tools and displaying matter harmful to juveniles.

….

Mills also had been a part-time instructor at Butler County Community College, which at the time of his arrest placed him on a leave of absence. He no longer is affiliated with the church or BC3.

WFMJ added:

A New Castle man caught in a statewide human trafficking sting will be spending some time in prison.

According to court employees, 36-year-old Jarod Mills was sentenced to six months in prison on one count of importuning.

The charge stems from a statewide sex sting, which led to Mills’ arrest in Mahoning County in October of 2020. Mills was one of 14 men arrested in Mahoning County during this sting.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Gabriel Geringer Sentenced to 60 Days in Jail for Misdemeanor Sexual Offense

Bruce Gerencser 3 Comments
gabriel geringer

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Gabriel Geringer, formerly a youth pastor at Fowler Christian Church in Fowler, Colorado, pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact in an Alford plea, meaning he entered a plea of guilty while still asserting his innocence in the case. Geringer was originally charged with sexual assault on a child, a Class 4 felony, as well as a pattern of sexual assault on a child, a Class 3 felony.

The Pueblo Chieftan reports:

After three previous jury trials went unresolved, a former youth group leader at a Fowler church pleaded guilty Friday to a misdemeanor sexual offense.

Gabriel Geringer, 45, pleaded guilty Friday morning to unlawful sexual contact in an Alford plea, meaning he entered a plea of guilty while still asserting his innocence in the case. Geringer was originally charged with sexual assault on a child, a Class 4 felony, as well as a pattern of sexual assault on a child, a Class 3 felony.

He first stood trial in September 2021, then did so twice more in July 2022 and January 2023. The trials in 2021 and 2023 ended in hung juries, and the trial in 2022 ended in a mistrial after a witness stated in court that she was assaulted by Geringer in her youth, causing Geringer’s defense to motion for a mistrial on the basis that the statements would unfairly prejudice a jury in favor of Geringer’s accuser.

In court Friday, Geringer cited attrition, dwindling resources to continue with another trial, and the possibility of a life sentence if convicted of sexual assault on a child as reasons to accept the plea deal.

According to the terms of the plea agreement, both parties agreed that Geringer will not serve jail time and will receive probation. All felony charges against Geringer were dropped by 10th Judicial District Attorney Jeff Chostner.

Chostner told the Chieftain there were a number of factors that played into his office’s decision to offer the plea deal.

“This was a case with three prior mistrials,” Chostner said.

“There were problems with the case in that it was not resonating with the various juries, composed of different individuals. We had to gauge the likelihood of success at yet another trial and the ability to get a conviction in this case. We’ve clearly been willing to fight on this case based on the fact that we’ve done three trials, but we have to evaluate the likelihood of success and the impact on the victim of having her prepare for yet another trial.

“In the interest of our victim, judicial efficiency and justice, I thought this was the best way to resolve the matter.”

Chostner said the person names as the victim in the case was fully consulted and agreed to the terms of the deal.

“The victim certainly wished he was convicted at trial, but we made this plea and consulted her about it,” Chostner said. “In her conversations with me, she expressed relief that she would not have to come back and testify yet again. We would never enter into such a plea without victim knowledge, and in this case, victim concurrence.”

Judge Amiel Markensen remarked that while the court does not generally accept Alford pleas in sex offense cases, the special circumstances of the case — namely that three previous trials ended without resolution and that mediation occurred between the prosecution and defense to make the plea possible — allowed him to accept the plea.

While maintaining his innocence, Geringer will still be required to register as a sex offender and submit to “evaluation for treatment, evaluation for risk, procedures required for monitoring of behavior to protect victims and potential victims, and an identification developed pursuant to statute,” according to the plea agreement.

Chostner noted that Geringer’s being required to register as a sex offender was important to both the DA’s office and the person named as the victim.

No restitution is being sought, according to the plea agreement.

Geringer was accused of initiating a sexual relationship with the then-14-year-old female in 2010 that lasted for about three years, according to the prosecution’s case. Geringer met the teen while he was a youth leader in their Fowler church.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Gary Arivett Accused of Sexually Molesting Family Members

Bruce Gerencser 2 Comments
pastor gary arivett

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Gary Arivett, pastor of Shiloh Apostolic Church in Henning, Illinois, stands accused of sexually molesting minor family members.

WCIA reports:

One woman is reflecting on a painful past. Now she hopes justice will be served for the Henning Pastor she says sexually abused her for years.

Last week Gary Arivett was arrested and is facing three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a family member under the age of 18. He has since been released after posting a $100,000 dollar bail.

The survivor says Arivett has been a pastor at Shiloh Apostolic Church in Henning for nearly 30 years. For her privacy, she does not want to be named, but says she and her sisters were abused for years.

“I would like him to not have access to children anymore in any capacity,” said the survivor.

She says the abuse first started for her at age 11, her younger sister was 6 years old.

“I just tried to move forward with my life and that point we hadn’t heard of anybody else having issues and so I kinda was hoping that deep down maybe he got over his sickness and maybe it was just us children, maybe it was us,” said the survivor.

But when she heard Arivett was arrested she wanted to stand in solidarity with the other survivors.

“There’s no telling how many are out there, and there is no telling how many little children in the church right now that don’t know what he is doing is wrong,” said the survivor.

That’s why Erin Morris started digging into this case.

“I was protected here as a child by all of the people that I grew up with and I want to continue to do that,” said Morris.

Morris says she heard the news about Arivett on social media and wanted to know more about the situation.

“So I made a small Facebook post and people started reaching out to me then with their stories,” said Morris.

….

“The fact that he is a pastor in a leadership position with access to as many young children with very trusting parents who aren’t aware of the monster they are allowing near there children, it needed to be public, it needs to get out there, they need to know,” said the survivor.

We did reach out to Arivett for a comment. Over the phone he said:

“First of all, the charges are unfounded. I was not forced out of the pastors position, I left on my own.”

VCF adds:

Former Shiloh Apostolic Church of Henning pastor Gary Arivett has been given a pre-trial date of September 18th, at 11 AM in Courtroom 4A of the Vermilion County Courthouse.  During his appearance on Monday (Aug 14th), Arivett waived his right to the full reading of the indictment filed against him on August 4th, and a not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf.

Arivett faces multiple counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse with a family member, after serving for nearly three decades as pastor at the Shiloh Apostolic Church in Henning, located northwest of Route 136 and Henning Road

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Jason Shenk Steals Millions Meant for Bible Distribution and Missionary Work

Bruce Gerencser 5 Comments
jason shenk

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Jason Shenk stands accused of stealing over $30,000,000 meant for Bible distribution and missionary work.

WMAZ-13 reports:

A former Dublin resident is wanted on multiple federal charges for orchestrating a scheme to misdirect more than $30 million donated for a Christian ministry in China, according to a release from the US Attorney’s Office.

45-year-old Jason Gerald Shenk is charged in a newly unsealed federal indictment with four counts of Wire Fraud; three counts of International Concealment Money Laundering; 13 counts of Concealment Money Laundering; 21 counts of Money Laundering Involving Transactions Greater than $10,000; and one count of Failure to File Report of Foreign Bank Account, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

If convicted Shenk would face up to 20 years in prison, forfeiture of any property involved in or traceable to the offenses, substantial financial penalties, and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison sentence. And he would not be eligible for parole, as it is a federal offense. 

Warrants have been issued for Shenk’s arrest. He is considered innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

“When people of faith donate money for evangelistic purposes, they reasonably expect those who solicit their donations to act as faithful stewards of those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This case alleges an egregious breach of that trust at the expense of multiple charities and individual donors.”

Shenk is alleged to have planned and executed a scheme in which he obtained more than $30 million from faith-based charities and individual donors, primarily from religious communities in Ohio and North Carolina, based on his promises that he would use the funds for producing and distributing Bibles and Christian literature in the People’s Republic of China.

The indictment alleges Shenk obtained approximately $22 million from one charitable organization and its donors, and approximately $10 million from another charity and its donors, along with other donations from individuals. The funds were directed to a variety of shell corporations.

The indictment says Shenk started the scheme in April 2010 until July 2019, and that Shenk renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2016 to avoid financial reporting requirements under federal law.

Shenk allegedly used the money for his own use for the following purposes: 

  • Payments of approximately $1 million to an online sports gambling website;
  • Purchases of equity shares of approximately $850,000 in a privately held nuclear energy company;
  • Approximately $4 million in purchases of at least 16 life insurance policies in various people’s names;
  • Purchases of diamonds, gold, and precious metals in amounts totaling approximately $1 million;
  • Purchases of domestic and foreign stocks totaling more than $188,000;
  • Payments of approximately $7 million to the company running Shenk’s family farm;
  • Purchases on at least 10 personal credit cards totaling more than $820,000
  • Purchases of $320,000 in real estate in the “Galt’s Gulch” development in Santiago, Chile.

The Daily Beast adds:

Federal authorities have launched an international manhunt for a Georgia everyman-turned-fugitive who is being sought for an alleged scheme that redirected more than $30 million from Christian charities meant to be spent on Bible distribution in China.

According to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday, 45-year-old Jason Gerald Shenk took more than $33 million in donations from charities and individuals—money that he allegedly promised to use for producing and distributing Bibles and Christian literature—and spent it on a slew of expensive personal purchases.

Shenk allegedly spent about $1 million on diamonds and precious metals, $7 million on his family farm, $320,000 on real estate in Chile, $4 million on 16 life insurance policies, $850,000 on shares of a private U.S. nuclear company, $820,000 on credit card payments and $1 million deposited in an online sports betting site—which was subsequently shut down for fraudulent activity.

He also went to great lengths to cover his tracks, the indictment claims. Shenk allegedly directed the funds to a variety of shell corporations that had bank accounts stationed around the globe to “conceal the nature of the transactions.”

He even sent completely fabricated spreadsheets—containing phony statistics about how many Bibles were distributed to different Chinese provinces—to the charities he was scamming, according to the indictment.

All the while, prosecutors say he continuously lied to international banks about who he was and how much money he and his family had. Shenk even renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2016—a move that the indictment claims was motivated solely by his desire to avoid financial reporting requirements under federal law.

Shenk’s efforts allegedly kept the elaborate scheme afloat for nearly a decade. Prosecutors say it may have started as early as April 2010, running all the way until July 2019.

Warrants have been issued for Shenk’s arrest, which will likely involve extradition given the international nature of the search.

“He could be anywhere,” Barry Paschal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia told The Daily Beast. “We think we might know where he is. We aren’t at liberty to say where we think he is, but we think we might know.”

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: IFB Pastor Steve Sumner Charged with Sex Crimes, Flees State of Indiana

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
pastor steve sumner

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Steve Sumner, former pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Anderson, Indiana (an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation), and a former Madison County Councilman was charged in 2022 with rape and other sex crimes.

The Herald Bulletin reported at the time:

The trial of former Madison County councilman Steve Sumner has been continued until Oct. 3.

Sumner, 52, is facing a total of 13 criminal charges for alleged sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16.

If convicted Sumner is facing a possible sentence ranging from 10 to 57 years and maximum fines of up to $120,000.

The most serious charge is rape, a Level 3 felony.

Sumner is currently free after posting a $5,000 bond.

Special Judge Jeffrey Todd of Grant County granted a continuance of the trial that had been set for May 16.

The charging information for the rape charge states that between July 1, 2020 and Aug. 4, 2020, Sumner did knowingly or intentionally have sexual contact with a girl under the age of 16 when the person was compelled by force or the imminent threat of force.

Following his arrest in December, Sumner said he was innocent of the charges.

He was arrested initially on criminal charges of child solicitation and possession of child pornography, both Level 6 felonies.

Sumner was elected to the Madison County Council from District 2 in 2018 and resigned from his seat on the council in 2021.

He also served as a pastor with the Lighthouse Church in Anderson.

The probable cause also states that on multiple occasions, Sumner would open the shower curtain when the girl was taking a shower and at one point he climbed into the shower and asked the girl to wash the soap off of him.

Investigators obtained forensic information off of both Sumner’s and the girl’s cell phone. On Sumner’s cell phone investigators found numerous images and videos of a young nude female.

The girl said all but two of the photographs were of her taken in 2019 or the beginning of 2020, according to the charging information.

The girl told investigators Sumner indicated to her he looked at the images and it “turned him on.”

She also said that in August 2020 Sumner entered her bedroom, asked her to get on the bed and touched her upper thigh with a vibrator while everyone else was in the house was sleeping.

Facing an upcoming court date and trial, Sumner decided to flee the state of Indiana.

The Herald Bulletin reports:

It is believed that former Madison County Councilman Steve Sumner has fled the state of Indiana.

An informed source that didn’t want to be identified said Monday that Sumner has left Indiana after failing to appear at a court hearing last week.

The Madison County Prosecutor’s Office charged Sumner with a felony count of failing to appear.

Once he is apprehended, Madison County officials will seek to return Sumner to Indiana.

Sumner, 52, was supposed to appear Thursday in Madison Circuit Court Division and did not appear.

A warrant for his arrest was issued by Special Judge Jeffrey Todd of Grant County.

“I have no idea why my client did not show up,” Sumner’s attorney Cody Cogswell said.

Cogswell was recently appointed to represent Sumner after attorney Bob Summerfield withdrew from the case.

“That Counsel has not made contact with the Defendant since being appointed on the case and has tried every avenue to do so,” Cogswell’s motion for the continuance states.

Sumner is facing a total of 13 criminal charges for alleged sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16.

If convicted Sumner is facing a possible sentence ranging from 10 to 57 years and maximum fines of up to $120,000.

The most serious charge is a rape as a Level 3 felony.

The charging information for the rape charge states that between July, 1, 2020 and Aug. 4, 2020, Sumner did knowingly or intentionally have sexual contact with a girl under the age of 16 when the person was compelled by force or the imminent threat of force.

Following his arrest in December, Sumner said he was innocent of the charges.

Sumner was elected to the Madison County Council from District 2 in 2018 and resigned from his seat on the council in 2021.

He also served as a pastor with the Lighthouse Church in Anderson.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Conservative Baptist Principal and Deacon Robert Lazzell Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Sexual Assault

Bruce Gerencser 2 Comments
arrested

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Robert Lazzell, a former school principal and deacon at First Baptist Church in Danville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. According to the Blue Shirt Coalition — a group of school alumni and friends:

Lazzell is the third prominent former staff member to be charged with sexual crimes against minors since the late 90s.

You can read about the other crimes here.

Lazzell also worked for Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown, Wisconsin.

VCF reports:

Former First Baptist Church of Danville School Principal and Church Deacon Robert Lazzell has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to Criminal Sexual Assault against former student Michael Young.

The sentence was handed down by Associate Judge Derek J. Girton Tuesday (Aug 1st) morning, after a sentencing hearing in front of a standing room crowd in courtroom 3B.  The speakers included Michael Young, and his mother and grandmother; all calling for the maximum sentence of 15 years.  The defense asked for the minimum of four years.

Young, now 26, stated that the grooming, abuse, and sexual assault, and threats and bribery and efforts to isolate him from his family all began when he was an 8th grader; and that the harassment of him by Lazzell continued when he went away to college in Florida, with Lazzell trying to convince him to come to Maranatha Baptist in Wisconsin where he had gone to work.

Although the defense claimed a psychosexual examination of Lazzell claimed he was low risk for recidivism, Judge Girton looked at Lazzell prior to sentencing him and said that based on the evidence heard, the testimony given, and the pattern of his behavior towards Young for many years, he did not trust him.

The fourth person who spoke at the hearing for the prosecution was a long time friend of Young’s, as well as also a former First Baptist Church member and school student, Kate Gibson.  She said after the sentencing that for students like Young and herself; that church was their entire world.

….

The 50-year-old Lazzell will be required to serve 85% of his 12 year sentence.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Southern Baptist Pastor Bob Stine Facing Accusations of Sexual Assault

Bruce Gerencser 8 Comments
pastor bob stine

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Bob Stine, the pastor of Midvale Baptist Church in Madison, Wisconsin, and operator of Kid’s Best Child Care (a ministry of Midvale Baptist), stands accused of sexually assaulting several children during a trip to a local state park.

Religion News reports:

The Rev. Bob Stine, former president of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention, will be required to answer questions in court in September after police in Madison, Wisconsin, recommended he be charged with sexual assault.

The Dane County district attorney’s office said the case involving Stine, pastor of Midvale Baptist Church in Madison, is under review. No charges have been filed.

“The DA’s Office has received the referral from Madison Police Dept,” the DA’s office said in an email about Stine. “He is scheduled to appear for an Initial Appearance on 9/7/23 at 8:30 AM.”

Police have investigated allegations that Stine inappropriately touched children during a group visit to a state park in 2021, according to television station WISC in Madison. That investigation led the state’s Department of Children and Families to revoke the license for Kid’s Best Child Care, a day care run by Midvale Baptist, in late June.

“The Department has received credible information that licensee Robert Stine is the subject of an investigation, which has resulted in referral to the Dane County District Attorney’s office for criminal charges of sexual abuse of a child,” said a letter from DCF to the church, posted online by WICS. “The Department has concluded that these findings substantially relate to the care of children and have created a condition that directly threatens the health, safety, and welfare of children in care.”

The church’s day care facility was reportedly shut down in April. Neither Stine nor his attorney responded to a request for comment.

According to his bio on Midvale’s website, Stine is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has been pastor since 2007. He is also a former leader of the Baptist Student Union at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. The church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Despite the investigation, Stine’s bio remains on the church website and the television station reported that he has continued to preach at the church, though videos of recent services were recently reportedly removed from the church’s YouTube page.

Stine had been president of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention until May, when he resigned because of the police investigation, said Leo Endel, the convention’s executive director.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Baptist Pastor Gregory Neal Pleads Guilty to Stealing $130,000 to Pay Off Gambling Debts, Sentenced to Eighteen Months in Prison

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
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The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Gregory Neal, the executive pastor of Journey Baptist Church in Barrington, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to stealing $130,000 from the church to pay his gambling debts and was sentenced to eighteen months in prison.

News Center Maine reports:

A New Hampshire executive pastor has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing about $130,000 from his church to pay off gambling debts and make purchases.

Gregory Neal, of Barrington, 45, was sentenced in federal court Wednesday and ordered to pay back the Journey Baptist Church and the insurance company that covered a portion of the losses.

He pleaded guilty in April to one count of wire fraud.

“A man who abused his position of trust — as a leader of his church — and stole from his congregation to support his gambling habit has been brought to justice,” U.S. Attorney Jane Young said in a statement.

Prosecutors said that between January 2017 and March 2020, Neal made unauthorized withdrawals of the church’s funds to pay off his debts and made unauthorized purchases with church credit cards.

His lawyer asked for a sentence of five years of probation to allow Neal to continue running his carpentry business so he can pay back the church and support his family.

“When the theft was uncovered, Mr. Neal confessed and tried to make amends,” his sentencing memorandum said. “He repaid several thousand dollars and, after being confronted by law enforcement, saved additional money to repay. He attended Gambler’s Anonymous meetings and started a new business, building kitchen islands, to support his family.”

Included were letters of support from Neal’s wife and church parishioners.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Connect with me on social media:

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Bruce Gerencser