Christian non-profit co-owner indicted

[Ian David]

Christian non-profit co-owner indicted

Robert Anglen
The Arizona Republic
May. 2, 2007 01:01 PM

The co-owner of a non-profit Christian investment company says he was doing God's work. An Arizona grand jury says he bribed a police officer and filed bogus legal claims against public officials. Ed Purvis, co-owner of Nakami Chi Group Ministries International, faces 20 years in prison if convicted on four counts of harassing public officials and one count of bribing a Chandler police officer.

The indictments come on top of a separate two-year fraud investigation of Purvis and his business partner, Gregg Wolfe. Authorities say the pair orchestrated a scheme that has netted millions of dollars from churchgoers in Arizona and 12 other states. advertisement

Purvis, who appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court on Wednesday, and Wolfe have denied any wrongdoing.
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In the case unveiled Wednesday, the grand jury said Purvis, 37, of Chandler, filed illegal property liens and legal claims against a Maricopa County Superior Court judge, the Maricopa clerk of courts and two lawyers with the Arizona Corporation Commission who have accused him of committing securities fraud and selling unlicensed securities.

Purvis also is accused of paying Chandler police Officer Bradley Forward an undisclosed benefit to conduct illegal background searches on a Corporation Commission lawyer and a potential witness in the fraud case.

More:
http://www.azcentral.com/community/ahwatukee/articles/0502cr-purvis0502-ON.html

[Squatch]

1. Thanks for posting this.

DU needs another Christian-bashing thread.

:popcorn:

[annabanana]

3. Only the uber-hypocritical ones, dear..

Those who walk the walk don't get bashed much.

[Squatch]

7. I'm sure the OP salivated at the chance to post an article

highlighting not only criminal activity, but the fact that the person engaging in that activity is...GASP...an eeeeeevil Christian.

The dude's a Douchebag. The world is full of these people. He gives Christians and other devout people a black eye. Check. Got it.

I'm just going to sit back, now, and watch this thread devolve into a well-orchestrated thumping of all Christians based on their shared characteristic of their chosen faith.

[Ian David]

8. I'm a big fan of The United Church of Christ, The Unitarians, Catholic Worker, Voice of The Faithful

and other Christian groups.

I am not anti-Christian.

[BOSSHOG]

5. Did ya hear

about the "christian" pastor who pled guilty this week to stealing 13 thousand dollars from a broken ATM machine in Louisiana? Part of the fucking cabal that loves their liberties but wants to use your constitution as a weapon against law abiding citizens whom they hate in the name of Jesus Christ. They give us bashers so much material to work with.

[annabanana]

2. "doing God's work" - snort.

I hope he gets put away for a long, long time.

[hobbit709]

4. Evidently "doing God's work"

includes stealing, lying, and attemted bribery and coercion. Such FINE moral values.:sarcasm:

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

6. Here's a hint...

as if DU needed to be told this -- Don't EVER do business with someone claiming to be a "Christian-Based Company." Never Ever. Anybody who's willing to shill his spiritual values in a commericial will screw you at any opportunity, and you can count on it.

I have a friend, a devout (but sane) Christian, who owns a construction company. There used to be a directory published of Christian-based businesses, and he had his company listed there. After a year or two, he yanked his ad because these "christian" businesses were notorious for stiffing him after the work was done.

Like I said, I'm sure DU doesn't need to be told this, but tell your friends. Avoid these people like one of the plagues.

[Coyote_Bandit]

9. "Christian investment adviser" (yes that is an oxymoron)

in Tulsa pled guilty to fraud a few years back. Was arrested in connection with the undercover FBI Sweet Tea investigation into high yield investment fraud. He was charged in federal court on the east coast, pled to the charges, was not sentenced to jail since he was a first time offender. To my knowledge, his arrest and conviction received absolutely no media coverage locally.

He and his partner are still working in the investment business in Tulsa. They are both "Christian". They seem to float from church to church (often assuming high profile volunteer positions) and try to work the high net worth "Christian" clientele. They promote "alternative" investments. It is not uncommon for folks who get scammed in these kinds of operations to forego filing criminal complaints. I am told these crooks have moved most of their personal assets out of the country where they have invested largely in luxury real estate intended for use by American tourists.

I came across the scumbags and became familiar with their operations while doing my due diligence after I interviewed with another group of suspect "Christian" financial planners. These folks were operating in multiple states and targeting retired folks and senior citizens with free dinner seminars. What they were selling were mutual funds containing options and derivatives - some of which were margined. To lower the risk profile they were coupling the mutual funds with the sale of a high commission annuity which accepted a third party assignment back for the purpose of remaining fully invested in the high risk derivatives. A high risk house of cards that was inappropriate for their clientele. These folks had administrative complaints filed against them with the securities and insurance boards that licensed them.