Southern California(Thechieftainspear) –A Southern California pastor has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating multiple fraud schemes that stole more than $230,000 from friends and a nonprofit organization, federal prosecutors announced.
Terrance Owens Elliott, 60, of Crestline, who also goes by “Tony Elliott”, was taken into custody on Thursday and faces 11 counts of wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Elliott, a San Bernardino church pastor and former candidate for the San Bernardino City Council, is accused of manipulating longtime friends and misusing funds for personal gain, including luxury purchases.
Fraudulent Trust Scheme
Court records reveal Elliott deceived a friend, identified only as M.C., by convincing her to place her inheritance into a trust under his management. He falsely claimed that directly receiving the money would cause her to lose Medicare and Social Security benefits…