Bishop Eddie Long Now Faces Mortgage Fraud Charges in Addition the Molestation Lawsuits

In my experience in the legal profession and the area of real estate law in particular, typically, the biggest crooks are those who always wear religion on their sleeves and somehow work religion into what ought to be a purely business/legal matter. Now, Bishop Eddie Long - who is already facing lawsuits brought by four young men who accuse him of sexual coercion while using his church position to gain their confidence - has reportedly been linked to a mortgage fraud operation being run from his church. Apparently, Long was not satisfied with the $3 million salary he was drawing from his church. CBS Atlanta is reporting that thousands of homeowners may have lost their homes after paying an upfront $1500 foreclosure rescue fee during church sponsored seminars - surprisingly, even Virginia has legislation that bars such up front fees - only to end up losing their homes and/or ending up in bankruptcy. Here are some story highlights:
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CBS Atlanta News has found Bishop Eddie Long and another local megachurch leader, Gary Hawkins, are linked to a questionable mortgage venture that is being investigated by the feds. CBS Atlanta was the first to report on Matrix Capital's long list of victims. The company promised to lower people's mortgages for $1,500 upfront. Police say thousands of homeowners paid Matrix money, but according to investigators, most of them ended up in bankruptcy and losing their homes.
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So many people trusted Matrix Capital front man Fred Lee because he made promises of lowering people's mortgages in the sanctity of their local church. CBS Atlanta first tracked down Fred Lee on the campus of New Birth, Bishop Eddie Long's church.
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On Wednesday nights, New Birth is where Lee convinced church members to pay him instead of their mortgages. That is where people started the process that would eventually cost many their homes. "Where is Eddie Long? Because we would like to talk to him about why he is holding these seminars on his property here," Saltzman asked the security guards at New Birth. "You have to leave the property," the officer responded. The case against Lee is now being investigated by DeKalb County police and the Secret Service.
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In a statement, Long said Matrix Capital is no longer holding seminars at New Birth. But CBS Atlanta has learned another Matrix executive has continued making those same presentations in Lee's place.