In the spring of my tenth-grade year, my dad packed up our meager worldly belongings and moved the Gerencser family to Tucson, Arizona. Three months later, I hopped a Greyhound bus and returned to my mom’s home in Bryan, Ohio. After spending the summer of 1973 with Mom, I decided to move to Findlay, Ohio, so I could attend the local high school. We had lived in Findlay for two and a half years — the longest I had ever attended one school, so I moved back, hoping to reconnect with my friends and church. I ended up living with two church families as I finished my eleventh grade of high school. In May 1974, I returned to my mom’s home, dropped out of high school, and six months later moved back to my dad’s home — which was now located in Sierra Vista, Arizona — after mom was committed to the state psychiatric hospital in Toledo (her second commitment).
I lived in Sierra Vista for nine months. I worked for a local grocery company, attended a Conservative Baptist church, and spent the rest of my time with a beautiful woman I met at church named Anita. (Please see 1975: Anita, My First Love) We hit it off, and our relationship quickly turned to talk of marriage. A few months later, Anita returned to college in Phoenix, our relationship soured, and I, once again, returned to my mom’s home in Ohio. I remained there until in left for college in August 1976.
Anita had a younger brother who was deaf. I wish I could remember his first name, but try as I might, I can’t recall it. One day, Anita’s brother and I were driving down the road near their home. I noticed ahead of us a large snake crossing the road. I said, “Let’s stop and catch the snake.” I got out of the truck and tried to catch it. As I reached for the snake, it recoiled and lunged at me, catching the fabric of my blue jeans. An old woman was standing in her yard, watching as I tried to corral the snake. Suddenly, she came running towards us, screaming, “Get away from that snake. It’s poisonous.” And with that, she smashed the snake with a rock.
I had no idea what species the snake belonged to. Come to find out, it was a rattlesnake that had dropped its rattle!
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
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.
Ross Miceli, a priest at St. Jude the Apostle Church in Erie, Pennsylvania, stands accused of rigging a church raffle so he would win one or more of the prizes. As of this date, no charges have been filed.
A Pennsylvania pastor is under criminal investigation after authorities say he fabricated the winner of a church raffle that promised a brand-new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray or $50,000 in cash.
According to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Rev. Ross R. Miceli of St. Jude the Apostle Church in Erie is accused of falsifying raffle results, inventing names for multiple prize winners, and moving the grand prize money into a separate account.
The 2024 raffle, which sold $50 tickets, was designed to raise as much as $500,000 for the parish. The grand prize was an Amplify Orange 2024 Corvette Convertible 1LT or a $50,000 payout. Smaller “12 Days of Christmas” prizes, worth $500 each, were also offered in the lead-up to the Dec. 24 drawing.
Officials say the winning four-digit ticket number was matched to a man identified by Miceli as “Martin Anderson of Detroit,” who allegedly chose the cash option. Investigators now allege that Anderson does not exist and never purchased a ticket.
Court documents further claim Miceli admitted to making up the names of at least four $500 prize winners, reportedly choosing friends or favored parishioners when no actual winners were tied to the drawn numbers.
The Erie Times-News reports that Miceli told investigators he moved the $50,000 grand prize from the raffle account into an interest-bearing church account. Authorities are reviewing whether that transfer violated state law.
Miceli, 42, has stepped down from St. Jude and is reportedly being reassigned to two smaller parishes in Clearfield County while the investigation continues. No charges have been filed as of Monday, but the case remains active.
If proven true, the allegations could result in theft, fraud, and records-tampering charges against the pastor.
As it had done for years, St. Jude the Apostle Church in 2024 sold tickets for its well-known and lucrative charity car raffle. The grand prize was a new Chevrolet Corvette.
The sports car, an $82,000 orange convertible Stingray 1LT, sat on display on the edge of St. Jude’s greenspace at the southeast corner of West Sixth Street and Peninsula Drive in Millcreek Township.
The tens of thousands of motorists who drove by the corner, many on their way down Peninsula Drive and headed to the Waldameer amusement park and Presque Isle State Park, could not miss the Corvette as an advertisement for the raffle.
Tickets were $50 each. The grand-prize winner could pick the car or $50,000 in cash.
St. Jude, one of the largest parishes in the 13-county Catholic Diocese of Erie, hoped to sell 9,999 tickets to raise nearly $500,000. The raffle was administered online, giving raffle and Corvette enthusiasts from across the United States the chance to purchase electronic tickets.
The grand-prize drawing was on Christmas Eve.
St. Jude said ticket holders were assigned random numbers via computer. The four-digit number on the winning ticket had to match the winning number in that evening’s Pick 4 Pennsylvania Lottery drawing.
The Pick 4 number was 5851.
The winner of the Corvette, according to the pastor of St. Jude, the Rev. Ross R. Miceli, was Martin Anderson, a resident of Detroit.
Anderson chose the $50,000 in cash, Miceli said in naming him as the winner in a post dated Dec. 24 on the raffle’s Facebook page.
Anderson, however, did not hold the winning ticket in the car raffle.
He never bought a ticket at all.
Miceli is accused of making up the name “Martin Anderson” as the winner of the $50,000. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office is investigating Miceli on allegations that the 42-year-old priest rigged the Corvette raffle, tampered with its records and committed theft.
The allegations and details of the investigation are included in a series of search warrants that detectives with the District Attorney’s Office served on St. Jude’s offices starting March 14.
One of the warrants states that, in an interview with detectives on March 14, Miceli “admitted to publicly falsifying the results of the grand prize winner.”
No one has been charged in the case, and the investigation is continuing, District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz said. She declined to comment further, citing the pending probe. She said the Catholic Diocese of Erie has fully cooperated with detectives and that the diocese promptly reported its concerns about the raffle to her office.
The Catholic Diocese of Erie had not commented publicly on the problems with the raffle until the Erie Times-News contacted Bishop Lawrence T. Persico’s office about the search warrants on Aug. 4.
The diocese said it had to limit its comments because of the ongoing criminal investigation.
…
The diocese, according to the search warrants, told the District Attorney’s Office that it became aware of the situation atfer an employee at St. Jude raised concerns about the raffle to Persico.
Miceli confided in the employee, and “Father Miceli admitted that he fabricated the grand-prize winner’s name,” according to the affidavits of probable cause attached to the search warrants. The affidavits identify Miceli by name, but not the employee.
Miceli, according to the affidavits, told the employee he made up the winner’s name because “there had been a problem with the raffle system, so the winning ‘Pick 4’ number, ‘5851,’ didn’t have anyone assigned to it.”
After the employee reported the admission to Persico, according to the affidavits, “Bishop Persico confronted Father Miceli about this allegation, and Father Miceli admitted to fabricating the grand prize winner’s name but insisted the prize money was still in an account.”
On Feb. 26, detectives interviewed the employee who said he had spoken to Persico. The employee told the detectives Miceli told him he “had made the name up, as the winner, and an internet search revealed there are over 100 ‘Martin Anderson’s’ in the U.S.,” according to the affidavits. Miceli, according to the affidavits, “made mention” that the employee “needed to keep this secret.”
Another affidavit refers to “Martin Anderson” and states “no such individual exists and no money was distributed.”
Among the items to be seized, according to the search warrants, was “Internet research history conducted while planning, executing or relating to the Winavette raffle, Martin Anderson and other winners.”
….
The grand prize was not the only part of the raffle that Miceli manipulated, according to the allegations in the search warrants. The St. Jude raffle also featured the “12 days of Christmas,” in which raffle winners could win $500 a day leading up to Christmas Eve.
Miceli made up some of the winners for the $500 prizes, according to affidavits for some of the warrants.
In an interview with the detectives March 14, according to the affidavits, Miceli “admitted to publicly falsifying the results of the grand prize winner for the raffle. (He) also admitted to four other occasions, during the ’12 days of Christmas’ 2024, where there was no name associated with the winning number, so he personally chose the winners. The winners he chose were either favored parishioners or family friends.
“He also admitted to moving the $50,000 from the car raffle account to another account, because the other account was an interest-bearing account. When asked if the account was in his name or the church’s, he related the account belongs to the church. We learned that Father Ross solely oversees the bank accounts.”
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
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.
Michael Deckinga, Vice President for Advancement at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana, stands accused of distributing child pornography.
The chief fundraiser at a confessional Reformed seminary is facing federal charges of distributing child pornography, court documents confirm.
Mid-America Reformed Seminary Vice President for Advancement Michael Deckinga, 41, is being held at the Hammond, Indiana, city jail. He is awaiting an August 27 hearing before Magistrate Judge John E. Martin, according to a motion filed by public defender Peter L. Boyles.
….
An indictment believed to detail Deckinga’s alleged crimes is under seal. An arrest warrant states Deckinga “committed violations of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2), distribution of child pornography,” between November 2024 and May 2025. No further details were disclosed.
….
Deckinga was not a Mid-America graduate but earned a B.S. in history with minors in theology and business from Trinity Christian College, a Reformed school in Chicago. At the time of his hiring, Deckinga and his wife, Kim, resided in Beecher, Illinois with four children, whose ages in 2016 ranged from ten months to five years.
He was also said to be “chairman of the deacons” at Lynwood United Reformed Church in Lynwood, Illinois. The Rev. Nick Alons, Lynwood’s pastor, did not immediately respond to a phone message or email requesting comment.
Venema told the Christian Renewal publication in 2016, “Mike’s strengths are his familiarity with and enthusiastic commitment to Mid-America’s statement of its purpose as well as his understanding of how students who aspire to the gospel ministry need to be prepared academically and vocationally for this calling.”
Reached by phone at his home, Dirk Deckinga, Michael’s father, expressed astonishment at his son’s arrest.
“I really don’t think he did (it),” the elder Deckinga said. “But I don’t really know anything else about this. I’m just for a loss for words, and my wife and I . . . we just can’t believe it that this happened. We’re just waiting patiently for any information that we get from the lawyer.”
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
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.
Ryan Denzer-Johnson, a youth leader at an unnamed church (possibly the Evangelical Free Church) and a school teacher in Embarass, Minnesota, stands accused of sexually assaulting a child.
An Embarrass, Minnesota, man who has served as a teacher and church leader is accused of sexually assaulting a child.
Ryan Ross Denzer-Johnson, 43, was charged Monday, Aug. 18, with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against a child under the age of 14.
Denzer-Johnson has worked as a math teacher at Mesabi East Schools in Aurora and Northeast Range School in Babbitt in recent years, according to public records, but is no longer employed at either.
Prosecutors said he has also recently served in youth ministry and on the advisory board at an unspecified church.
The alleged victim is known to Denzer-Johnson, and the incidents are unrelated to either his work or volunteer roles.
A criminal complaint says the girl participated in a forensic interview last week. She recalled a period around March 2023 during which she said Denzer-Johnson would sexually touch her, sometimes multiple times a day.
The girl also recalled a similar incident at a later date, with the complaint alleging the conduct occurred at any point up until July 2024.
Denzer-Johnson also allegedly admitted to his wife earlier this month that he had sexually assaulted the girl “two years ago, and it ended one year ago,” the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office learned.
The complaint says Denzer-Johnson was interviewed Thursday and admitted to repeatedly touching the child. He allegedly recalled three specific incidents but stated, “I can’t tell you that that never happened other times.”
Denzer-Johnson additionally told law enforcement that he “can’t guarantee that there wasn’t like some grooming before (because) there probably was,” according to a memorandum from St. Louis County prosecutor Amber Pederson.
He allegedly described having prior concerns that he could sexually harm girls.
“Despite being aware for some time that he was prone to sexually assault minor females, (the) defendant put himself in positions with access to minor females,” Peterson told the court.
Judge Bhupesh Pattni granted the prosecutor’s request to set unconditional bail at $300,000, or $100,000 with several pretrial release conditions.
Denzer-Johnson has been a licensed math teacher for grades 5-12 in Minnesota since 2014, according to state records.
He resigned from Northeast Range in 2023 to join Mesabi East, and has also been involved in leading robotics programs at both Iron Range schools.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
Grace: Hello Bruce, I read your article. You were a pastor for many years, and now you are an atheist. Is that correct?
Bruce: Yes, that’s correct. I was an Evangelical pastor for 25 years. Thanks!
Grace: And now you are an atheist? Is that correct?
Bruce: Yes. I deconverted seventeen years ago.
As you can readily see, I politely and pointedly answered her questions. Yet, Grace’s questions were just a set up for her finishing blow.
Grace: Pastors lead people to hell. So you were on your way to hell then and now.
Luther was as much a heretic as the Catholic church.
The great evangelical disaster leads people to hell.
OSAS is Unscriptural.
“by faith alone” is Unscriptural.
Tithing is not NT Scriptural.
Church buildings are Unscriptural.
But at least you worked Some for a livig [sic].
It’s a shame you led people to hell then and are still on your way there.
But, your choice.
Peace
As you can see, Grace is certain she is right and I am wrong. No discussion required. She knows I’m wrong and headed for Hell; that my entire sixty-eight years of life is a fraud; a lie.
Never mind the fact that Grace doesn’t know anything about me other than an unnamed article she read. To that I say:
It’s stupid and embarrassing to give an answer before you listen. Proverbs 18:13
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
The following excerpt was written by Robert Reed, pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Coden, Alabama. Victory Baptist is an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) congregation.
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.”
I Timothy 2:9-10
Modest Apparel
Christian modesty is always in style. This Biblical doctrine of modesty is taught throughout Scripture and is binding today. After sin entered into the world the first issue dealt with was modesty, for God clothed Adam and Eve. This Biblical principle is a vanishing virtue in the world in which we live. God’s standards are constantly under attack because Satan knows that immodest dress leads to lust and many other sins. The subject of modesty must be a concern of both men and women, for it affects them both. Our clothing gives testimony of our heart and our attitude toward God and His Word.
“Unaffected modesty is the sweetest charm of female excellence, the richest gem in the diadem of their honor.”
– Noah Webster Dictionary 1828
In reference to clothing from a Biblical perspective, there are three areas to consider: modesty, covering, and distinction. This article will focus mainly on the subject of modesty even though all three are very important. Some rebel against this truth, but many just have never been taught. It is the responsibility of fathers, husbands, and pastors to teach their wives, sons, and daughters the doctrine of modesty. May we begin this study prayerfully with open eyes and a tender heart.
THE MEANING OF MODESTY
In I Timothy 2:9 of the King James Bible, the English word modest appears only one time, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.”
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In I Timothy 2:10, the real issue is brought forth, “But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.” Good works are our best ornament. Our dress is to match or be in harmony with what we believe. Our clothing is to glorify God and testify to the fact that we are a child of the King.
THE PURPOSE OF MODESTY
Modesty begins in the heart and is of utmost importance in our walk with God. Modesty was the first issue addressed after the fall, and God clothed Adam and Eve to have fellowship with them (even though no one else was on earth at that time). In I Peter 3:3-6, modesty of the heart and clothing are addressed, “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” The apostle stresses inward adornment and not outward display. In verse 3, he is saying that the putting on of apparel is not your beauty, but your devotion and love to Jesus Christ is. In other words, do you spend more time adorning the outward or the inward? Our text plainly shows a connection between what is on the inside and what we are on the outside. It begins internally and manifests itself externally.
The heart is mentioned over eight hundred times in Holy Writ. No one is saved unless the heart is turned to God (Hebrews 8:10), and no one can please God in modest apparel unless there is a modest heart. When our hearts are right, our clothing will be right also. We must be governed by the Spirit of the living God and not by feelings, fads, or fashions. Modesty is man’s oldest challenge. Prior to sin, Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed (Genesis 2:25). They were clothed in God’s righteousness and veiled in purity, but after the fall, sin and shame came. Man’s heart became darkened and God clothed them spiritually and physically. Again, we must be changed from the inside out or all is vanity.
THE REWARD OF MODESTY
The reward of modesty is blessings, joy, peace, and ultimately, a crown at the judgment seat of Christ. According to Romans 12:1-2, God is concerned with our bodies, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost (I Corinthians 6:14-7:1). The Spirit of the God of heaven and earth lives within the believer (I Corinthians 3:16-17). God is very much interested in our hearts (inside) and our bodies (outside). Both are very important to God for He created us in this manner. The spiritual is connected to the physical (Revelation 3:18, Isaiah 61:10). Our salvation is spoken of as garments of holiness and the righteousness of Christ. We are called peculiar people in I Peter 2:9, and we should live in a manner that is pleasing to God. According to II Corinthians 5:10-11, if we obey God we are promised rewards, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” The apostle Paul spoke of the crown of righteousness in II Timothy 4:7-8. May we all desire the things of God and look for His appearing.
CONCLUSION
Clothing is to conceal, not to reveal. In the Garden of Eden, God designed clothes to cover our first parents’ nakedness, for man could not clothe himself. Adam and Eve made aprons, but God made coats. There is a difference between the two. As a Christian, we must let God be our designer and not man. The clothing industry is controlled by pagans and they know what sells. Satan has an agenda, and please understand that the fashion world is not neutral. Fashions and styles are to arouse the passions of the flesh. In many cases, packaging is more sensual than raw nudity. We must not allow the world to dictate what we wear. God’s Word must be our standard in all areas of Christian life, especially in modesty. Amen.
“The wearing of gay or costly apparel naturally tends to breed and increase vanity. By vanity here, I mean the love and desire of being admired and praised. Every one of you that is fond of dress has a witness of this in your own bosom. Whether you will confess it before man or no, you are convinced of this before God. You know in your hearts, it is with a view to be admired that you thus adorn yourselves; and that you would not be at the pains were none to see you but God and His holy angels. Now, the more you indulge this foolish desire, the more it grows upon you. You have vanity enough by nature; but by thus indulging it, you increase it a hundredfold. O stop! Aim at pleasing God alone, and all these ornaments will drop off.”
“The wearing of costly array is directly opposite to being adorned with good works. Nothing can be more evident than this; for the more you lay out on your own apparel, the less you have left to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, to lodge the stranger, to relieve those that are sick and in prison; and to lessen the numberless to which we are exposed in the vale of tears.”
– John Wesley
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
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.
Eligio “Eli” and Kaitlyn Regalado, the founders of online-only Victorious Grace Church and INDXcoin, a religious-themed cryptocurrency, stand accused of fleecing their flock of $3.4 million.
Fresh off a Denver grand jury indictment regarding an alleged cryptocurrency scam, Eligio “Eli” and Kaitlyn Regalado stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of a district court judge on Thursday morning.
Both husband and wife are out on a $100,000 property bond after being arrested earlier this month on 40 felony charges — including racketeering, theft and securities fraud — following an alleged scheme between January 2022 and July 2023, in which the duo solicited nearly $3.4 million from around 300 investors, according to court records.
The bond conditions also included turning over all travel documents and “intensive pretrial supervision,” according to 2nd Judicial District Judge Karen Brody. The two cannot travel out of Denver county, but they are not required to wear GPS trackers.
Neither suspect was represented by defense attorneys. Eli Regalado noted they did not qualify for public defenders.
The Regalados were the founders the of online-only Victorious Grace Church and INDXcoin, a religious-themed cryptocurrency that state regulators said was “essentially worthless.”
The duo allegedly used their religious connections to recruit investors, while promising “exorbitant” returns on the investments, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. According to the indictment, only a small amount of the proceeds went to the business venture and that the Regalados spent at least $1.3 million on personal expenditures.
Some of these expenditures allegedly included home renovation that the defendants claimed “the Lord” told them to do, a Range Rover and more than $90,000 in traveling and entertainment expenses. All the while, INDXcoin maintained zero value and all of the investors lost all of their money, according to the district attorney’s office.
The suspects argued that INDXcoin was a “utility coin” to join faith-based communities online, not a security, therefore it did not require licensing or registration.
“My civil complaint filed in this matter says it all,” Chan said in a statement to The Denver Gazette about the new criminal case. “The Colorado Division of Securities initiated the investigation of the Regalados and we believe they committed egregious securities fraud, harming many in Colorado.”
The Regalados are scheduled to be back in court on Sept. 11.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
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.
Neal Creecy, pastor of Redemption Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, stands accused of luring or attempting to lure a child or mentally ill person with the use of computer technology to engage in sexual conduct.
Police and federal officials arrested a Las Vegas pastor as he prepared to meet a person he believed was a teenage boy for sex, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Monday.
Neal Creecy, 46, faces a charge of luring or attempting to lure a child or mentally ill person with the use of computer technology to engage in sexual conduct, records said.
Throughout August, the Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, along with the FBI and several Southern Nevada police departments, arrested at least eight men as part of a sting operation.
For the past five years, Creecy has rented space inside The Good Samaritan Lutheran Church on Sahara and Cimarron, where he operates his religious organization, Redemption Church, church leaders said.
On Thursday, Aug. 7, Creecy allegedly chatted with a person posing as a 14-year-old boy about meeting for “sexual contact,” police said. Creecy did not provide any images during the conversation but agreed to meet who he thought was a teenager at a “predetermined meeting location,” police said.
Creecy allegedly then drove to that location, leading to his arrest, police said.
Police recovered an iPad from Creecy, which they said was the device he used in the online conversation, documents said.
During an interview with police, Creecy “admitted to having been involved in the conversation with the decoy… and made the utterance, ‘I’m so sorry,’” documents said.
Creecy posted bond shortly after his arrest and was due to return to court on Sept. 2.
W. Don Seaborg, president of pastoral support for Redemption Church, said last week that Creecy is not affiliated with The Good Samaritan Church and only rents space.
Creecy’s Audible bio states:
Neal is the Senior Pastor of Redemption Church, a church plant started in October of 2018. Neal has been involved with pastoral ministries and church planting both in the United States and internationally for almost thirty years. He is Co-Founder and Vice President of Global Church Planting Partners, an organization that is involved in both theological training and church planting globally. He has also taught in various seminaries in the United States and around the world. Neal holds an MDiv and a Ph.D. in Missiology from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
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.
Thomas “Tommy” Pinkerton, a former youth pastor at Central Christian Church in Baltimore, Maryland, stands accused of abusing at least six teenagers from 2006-2010. Central Christian is affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination.
Thomas Pinkerton Jr. used to tell children in his youth group in Maryland that it was normal for a pastor to kiss boys on the lips, because that’s how Jesus greeted his disciples, according to an arrest warrant made public last week.
Kissing was just the beginning, several men from Pinkerton’s former youth group told police.
Pinkerton, 52, a youth minister known as Pastor Tommy, is being held without bond following accusations that he sexually abused six teens from 2006 to 2010 while working at Central Christian Church, an Assemblies of God church in Baltimore County. He was extradited from his home state of Georgia to Maryland last Wednesday to face 24 felony and misdemeanor counts in Baltimore County. His attorney, Justin Hollimon, said he pleaded not guilty.
An arrest warrant said the alleged abuse included inappropriate touching and kissing of six teenagers in Maryland, who ranged in age from 13 to 19. The warrant said the alleged abuse happened at the church and at Pinkerton’s former home in Maryland. A seventh man reported abuse by Pinkerton in Georgia, according to the warrant, and that report was referred to authorities there, officials in Baltimore County said.
Detectives believe there may be more victims and have asked anyone with information to come forward.
Pinkerton, who has worked as a traveling evangelist in recent years, was “completely shocked” by the charges, his attorney said Monday.
“He is a pastor. He gave his life to the community, worked for the community,” Hollimon said, adding that he filed a motion Monday morning seeking another bond hearing for Pinkerton after a judge denied his release last week. “He’s anxiously waiting his day in court.”
An online statement from Central Christian Church noted that Pinkerton left the congregation more than 15 years ago to start his own ministry. Lead Pastor Larry Kirk called the allegations “deeply heartbreaking” and said the church is “committed to walking alongside these young men with compassion and support.”
Assemblies of God officials pointed out that although Pinkerton served in the denomination, he was never a formally credentialed minister, NBC News reported.
Likewise, Savala was not a credentialed minister when he wielded influence in Chi Alpha.
Pinkerton, who currently lives in Winder, Georgia, and recently worked as a traveling evangelist, communicated through his attorney that he was “completely shocked” by the charges. His attorney has filed a motion for a second bond hearing after his first request for release was denied, NBC News reported.
Pinkerton’s preliminary court hearing is set for Sept. 5 while he remains at the Baltimore County Detention Center.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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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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.
In 2023, Daniel Merrick, pastor of Congregation Yahshua Messiah Gathering, a Messianic Jew congregation in Smethport, Pennsylvania, and a Christian musician was charged with 570 counts of child pornography involving indecent contact, second-degree felonies; 316 counts of child pornography involving nudity, third-degree felonies; and one count of criminal use of a communications facility, a third-degree felony.
Merrick told law enforcement that he had an “addiction,” and only started looking at child porn because his wife wouldn’t have sex with him. Merrick called his “addiction” a curiosity.
A Christian musician, pastor, and former Bradford store owner is in McKean County Jail, charged with more than 880 felony counts of child pornography.
Daniel W. Merrick, 64, of 858 Route 446, Smethport, is charged with 570 counts of child pornography-involving indecent contact, second-degree felonies; 316 counts of child pornography-involving nudity, third-degree felonies; and one count of criminal use of a communications facility, a third-degree felony.
According to the criminal complaint, State Police Computer Crimes received a CyberTip from Synchronoss Technologies, which is Verizon Cloud.
Between July 8 and Aug. 10, Synchronoss became aware of eight images and one video of child pornography involving indecent contact and one image of child pornography involving nudity, all of which had been uploaded to Synchronoss’ infrastructure.
Synchronoss provided to police the cell phone number which uploaded the images; the phone was registered to Merrick, the complaint stated.
On Jan. 9, Trooper Robert Whyel with the state police computer crimes unit served a search warrant for the content on the Verizon Cloud account for that phone number. The results included 178 additional images of child pornography involving indecent contact and 139 involving nudity. The images were saved on a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G; there were numerous photos of Merrick on the account as well, the complaint stated.
On Feb. 10, a search warrant was executed on Merrick’s residence, and Whyel spoke with Merrick on the scene. He told the trooper that he “began viewing pornography due to his wife refusing to be intimate with him,” the complaint stated, which Merrick said led to a “two-month curiosity in child pornography.”
The complaint read, “The curiosity never entered the real world and was only a fantasy.”
He told police that he had an addiction and would seek help, the complaint read.
Reviewing Merrick’s phone, the trooper found 383 images of child pornography involving indecent contact and 176 involving nudity, including an image that was located on the CyberTip, according to the complaint.
Merrick was arraigned Friday before District Judge William Todd in Smethport. He was jailed in lieu of $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 9.
….
According to Merrick’s website, he holds a Ph.D., is a singer, musician, author, preacher, pastor and composer. He completed Bible college and went into the U.S. Army in 1979 serving in active duty, the reserves and the National Guard until 2004. The site indicated that Merrick is now the pastor of a Messianic Jewish congregation in Bradford and has a weekly show on The Now Network Christian Television.
Pastor of Congregation Yahshua Messiah Gathering, a messianic Jewish followship, R. Capt. Daniel W Merrick PhD hosts “Faith Radio – The Latter Rain Chronicles” on Anchor FM and “Yah’s Way TV” on The Now Network Christian Station world wide. Dan completed his first Album in 1993 entitled “Aliyah” with 17 songs which featured “Like Stephen” which charted on the “CCM Countdown with Bob Sour” on Christian Radio Stations as a top 40 in 1994. Dan was born in Cleveland Ohio and raised on “church music” singing in the choir and as a teen was in the gospel singing group “The Teen Revivers” at Aspinwall Church of God Mountain Assembly. The group opened for the singing Rambo’s in the 1970’s in Cleveland. Dan grew up listening to Al Jolson, his dad’s favorite artist from WW2 era 1900’s who was the star of the first talking (sound) movie “The Jazz Singer” in 1929. Dan began composing music in High School and after having a few songs stolen, common in the industry, in 1987 copyrighted his first song. Dan has appeared on CTV, TCT TV and has weekly shows on The Now Network entitled “Yah’s Way TV” which broadcasts to 236 million people syndicated on Cable and Statilite TV Stations in Europe, USA, Africa, Middle East, Israel and via apps online to billions. Dan’s music is a collection of styles from Rock, Jazz, Gospel and Country with a stong Classical influence. Dan is the Son of “Lowes Girl” Fox Pin-up Model and Advertising Artist Laura Sloan Merrick Aka “Lolly” cousin of Jimmy Stewart.
In August 2024, Merritt was sentenced to 46 to 92 months in state prison followed by three years of probation.
A Pennsylvania pastor has been sentenced after police found him to be in possession of hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.
On Tuesday, August 12, the McKean County District Attorney’s Office announced that Daniel Merrick, a pastor in Smethport, was sentenced for possessing nearly 700 images and videos of child porn after attempting to withdraw a plea agreement.
Merrick claimed he was in possession of the content “as part of an investigation he had undertaken for law enforcement into Ukrainian and Russian children who are victims of child pornography.”
Later, Merrick told police that he and his wife had not been intimate in years, which sparked his curiosity to look at child pornography.
The DA’s Office stated that Merrick claimed he “never touched a child and that it was only a fantasy.”
Merrick will serve a sentence of 46 to 92 months in state prison followed by three years of probation. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
