Aurora Pastor Pleads Guilty to Using Fake Documents to Steal $1.6M in Donations
The pastor of an Aurora church pleaded guilty Thursday to charges that he used faked financial documents to fleece three supporters out of more than $1.6 million in donations.
Howard Richmond, the pastor of Life Reach Ministries, a church in an Aurora strip mall, pled guilty to operating a continuing financial crimes enterprise and a felony forgery charge, according to DuPage County prosecutors.
He faces up to 14 years in prison.
“Mr. Richmond took advantage of the generosity of others to line his own pockets,” DuPage County State’s Atty. Robert Berlin said.
“He betrayed the trust placed in him as pastor of the church, leveraging his victims’ faith to the tune of more than $1.6 million.”
Richmond, a Naperville resident, was accused of operating a bogus loan scheme to attract financial support from three people, including a member of his church.
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