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.
After creating the trust agreement, he appointed himself as a co-trustee and opened a bank account in its name. However, he misled the bank, submitting a false document that gave him sole control over withdrawals.
Instead of using the funds responsibly, Elliott allegedly:
- Transferred money to a church, referred to as “Church A”
- Paid church rent using postal money orders
- Spent the funds on personal items, including Nike sneakers, a piano, clothing, vehicle repairs, and a motorcycle warranty
Additionally, he is accused of unauthorized transfers totaling $27,164 from M.C.’s Social Security payments to the church.
When M.C.’s family requested bank statements, Elliott reportedly became defensive and assured them everything was “under control.”
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Funeral Expenses and Home Sale Fraud
Following M.C.’s passing, Elliott allegedly tricked another victim, identified as W.H., into covering $8,615 for funeral expenses. He falsely claimed that a judge’s approval was required before the trust could release the necessary funds.
In a separate real estate-related scam, Elliott persuaded W.H. to loan $65,000 from a corporation to the trust account, under the false promise of avoiding capital gains tax from a home sale.
Instead of repaying the loan with interest, Elliott:
- Used blank checks from W.H.’s corporation
- Funneled the money to the church
- Spent most of the funds on personal expenses
Church Nonprofit Scheme
From 2018 to 2021, Elliott misused his position within another church, referred to as “Church B”, and a nonprofit organization.
He allegedly fabricated claims that the nonprofit owed money to W.H.’s corporation. Over time, 32 fraudulent checks totaling $23,300 were issued and deposited into Elliott’s personal account.
Potential Sentence and Investigation
In total, Elliott is accused of defrauding victims out of $238,563. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count.
The FBI is continuing its investigation and believes there may be additional victims. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles office at 310-477-6565 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
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