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<DIV><FONT size=2><STRONG><FONT size=5>Religion News in
Brief<BR></FONT></STRONG>
<P><FONT size=-1>By The Associated Press<BR>The Associated Press<BR>Wednesday,
December 8, 2010; 4:38 PM <BR></FONT></P>
<P></P>
<P>SULLIVAN, Ind. -- A judge sentenced a church financier to 54 years in prison
Tuesday for pocketing millions of dollars that investors believed would be used
to build churches. </P>
<P>Special Judge Dena Martin ordered former pastor Vaughn Reeves to serve
consecutive six-year terms for each of nine fraud counts, in a scheme that cost
about 2,900 investors $13.1 million. Among aggravating factors, Martin found
Reeves targeted people over age 65 and used religion to influence them. Reeves'
attorney plans to appeal. </P>
<P>Investigators said Reeves, 66, and his three sons used their now-defunct
company, Alanar, and sales pitches that included prayers and Bible passages to
dupe about 11,000 investors into buying bonds worth $120 million secured by
mortgages on construction projects at about 150 churches. </P>
<P>Instead, Reeves and his sons diverted money from new investments to pay off
previous investors, pocketing $6 million and buying two airplanes, sports cars
and vacations. </P>
<P>Prosecutors pointed to the case as a prime example of affinity fraud, in
which scammers prey on people who share a common interest, such as religious
affiliation, ethnicity or age. </P>
<P>Reeves' sons are scheduled to go on trial in March. </P></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>_____________________________________<BR>Wayne A. Fox<BR>1009 Karen
Lane<BR>PO Box 9421<BR>Moscow, ID 83843</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:waf@moscow.com">waf@moscow.com</A><BR>208
882-7975<BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>