A former religious adviser to President George W. Bush has been accused by federal prosecutors of defrauding investors of $3.5 million.
Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell and a business partner, Gregory Smith, sold millions of dollars of worthless Chinese bonds, telling investors to "remain faithful and that they would receive their money," according to documents obtained by ABC Houston station KTRK.
Both men could face significant jail time and be forced to forfeit assets.
Caldwell's lawyer tweeted out a statement, according to KTRK, that said his client was "falsely accused" and "would be absolved."
JUST IN: “Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell is a religious leader who has been falsely accused—“ statement from his lawyer. Full #abc13 coverage: https://t.co/5GMtMAx4E0 pic.twitter.com/BsuePBv8p3 — Miya Shay (@ABC13Miya) March 30, 2018
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misspelled Caldwell’s name. It has since been corrected.
GreeleyBreeze on March 30th, 2018 at 13:53 UTC »
FTA:
“A former religious adviser to President George W. Bush has been accused by federal prosecutors of defrauding investors of $3.5 million.
Pastor Kirbyjohn Caldwell and a business partner, Gregory Smith, sold millions of dollars of worthless Chinese bonds, telling investors to "remain faithful and that they would receive their money," “
I’ve been to services by a lot of denominations in my day, but have never received actual investment sales or advice from the pulpit.
Is that a common evangelical thing? A megachurch thing?
xsited1 on March 30th, 2018 at 13:17 UTC »
"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."
AnxietyOrganized on March 30th, 2018 at 12:52 UTC »
Just waiting for Joel Osteen to be next.
Edit: Osteen. I actually used to live in Houston; should know better on the spelling. I went once when I was young (not of my free will) and saw John Osteen (Joel’s dad) preach. The whole mega church thing gives me the creeps.