A man who defrauded more than $30m from Christian donors and charities is facing up to 20 years in prison. Jason Shenk told donors that the funds would go towards distributing Bibles across China.
used the money for personal expenses, including $1m spent on an online sportsbook
The former Georgia resident actually used the money for personal expenses, including $1m spent on an online sportsbook. He also spent almost $7m on his family farm, as well as buying property in Chile and purchasing diamonds and gold. The 45-year-old faces a long list of charges, including wire fraud and money laundering.
He allegedly used fake records to deceive donors, claiming that Chinese authorities were persecuting him for his work. Two unnamed charities gave him around $32m to help with his efforts. Shenk allegedly used foreign bank accounts and shell corporations to divert the funds. He is still at large, having given up US citizenship back in 2016.
In the indictment, US Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Jill Steinberg described the deception that took place over many years: “When people of faith donate money for evangelistic purposes, they reasonably expect those who solicit their donations to act as faithful stewards of those funds.”