Bishop embezzles $500K from church, buys himself a nice second Mercedes

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Bishop admits embezzling from church

June 13, 2005

BY NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-bish13.html

A Morgan Park church bishop admitted he embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from church collections and even used church money to buy a second Mercedes to complement the one his church provided for him, according to a recent plea deal he struck with the feds.

Bishop William Ellis of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Morgan Park pleaded guilty Friday to five counts of filing false income tax returns. And federal prosecutors say that from 1996 to 2001, Ellis took more than $520,000 from church collections, bank accounts and church credit cards.

In the plea deal, Ellis, who lives in Flossmoor, admitted that in 1997, he took $1,000 a week from weekly collections, used the church's credit card on personal purchases and used the church's bank accounts to pay for his life insurance and his personal credit card bill.

Ellis admits he used church money to bankroll a second Mercedes, one in addition to a Mercedes already provided by the church for business use.

[Deja Q]

1. Church - the original form of the mental health industry...

Except church is tax free.

Shouldn't be.

[wtmusic]

2. As Falwell says:

"I travel first-class, because I pray to a First-Class God."

God's Benz:

[mr_hat]

4. That particular Benz kept trying to fly its way back to God at Le Mans.

[wtmusic]

5. Oh but what a way to go

O8)

[RPM]

3. I missed the part in the bible where christ bought fancy consumer goods...

... with the money others entrusted to him for charitable works.

[Dukkha]

6. So typical

Not at all surprised. This is nothing new since embezzlement in the church has been happening since the 80's. Remember the PTL?

Enjoy your Benz as you drive...on the Highway to Hell! :headbang:

[tjdee]

7. A second Mercedes? Bishops are rolling in Mercedes now?

Wow.