This June 14, 2018, file photograph exhibits an FBI seal on a podium earlier than a information convention on the company’s headquarters in Washington. Jose Luis Magana, Related Press
Fifteen years in the past, Christopher Burns was a junior excessive ministry chief for a megachurch in Georgia. Now, he’s on the FBI’s “Most Needed” checklist.
His path from the previous place to the latter goes via the monetary providers trade, the place he labored after he left his youth pastor job.
The FBI alleges that Burns, whereas working as an funding adviser, arrange a self-benefitting funding fraud scheme and finally bilked his buyers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Burns obtained then violated the belief of his purchasers to fund his lavish way of life,” mentioned U.S. Legal professional Ryan Okay. Buchanan in an April 12 press launch. “He betrayed buyers and stole their financial savings with guarantees of secure investments that may yield excessive charges of return.”
On April 11, Burns, 40, was charged with 10 counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud and 4 counts of cash laundering, in response to the discharge. He’d beforehand been charged with only a single rely of mail fraud.
The place is Christopher Burns?
Of their announcement of the brand new prices, regulation enforcement officers reiterated requires the general public to assist find Burns, who has been on the run since September 2020.
On the time of his disappearance, Burns lived in Berkeley Lake, Georgia, which is situated about 25 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. His automotive was later discovered deserted in Dunwoody, Georgia, in response to The Atlanta Journal-Structure.
Burns was final seen by his ex-wife and youngsters. They aren't believed to have identified concerning the monetary fraud whereas it was going down, the Roys Report famous in its protection of the case.
“I don't know who I used to be residing with,” mentioned Meredith Burns to WSB-TV in 2021.
Meredith and Christopher Burns met in eighth grade whereas serving collectively on a mission journey, in response to the Roys Report. They married in 2002 whereas nonetheless college students at a Christian faculty in Indiana and later moved to Georgia, the place Christopher Burn continued his youth ministry profession.
Round 2011, Burns transitioned away from ministry into monetary providers work. He’s accused of steadily making a Ponzi scheme via which he may personally profit from trusting buyers.
“Traders had been promised that their cash can be loaned to companies that wanted financing and with little to no threat. In some circumstances, Burns falsely described the investments as secured by the safety of collateral and private ensures. In different circumstances, he falsely claimed that he would pool buyers’ cash to lend it to startup companies and charities. However in actuality, he used buyers’ cash to repay prior buyers and to fund his enterprise and his lavish way of life,” the April 12 press launch mentioned.
FBI search continues
Burns disappeared quickly after the U.S. Securities and Change Fee started investigating his work. Within the years since his disappearance, these investigations continued, ensuing within the new prices filed final month.
Keri Farley, particular agent answerable for FBI Atlanta, mentioned within the April 12 press launch that the FBI stays dedicated to finding Burns and holding him accountable for his actions.
“Monetary crimes of this nature could cause important disruptions to the lives of those that are victimized, and the FBI is devoted to holding these criminals accountable,” she mentioned.
Farley continued, “The FBI continues to be looking for the general public’s assist in finding Burns and can proceed to pursue him regardless of how lengthy he tries to evade the regulation.”