Two Maryland men charged with bilking three Ypsilanti churches and 18 other churches in Michigan out of a total of $660,000 are in custody, the state attorney general's office said.

Michael Morris, 29, of Waldorf, and William Perkins, 54, of Oxon Hill, are scheduled to be arraigned today on charges including racketeering and conspiracy to commit false pretenses.

Michael Morris

The two are accused of offering to provide electronic kiosks free of charge to black churches to use for religious education, community events and fundraising.

The pastors were allegedly told a "national sponsor" would cover all costs in exchange for advertising that would run on the machines. They were then convinced to sign leases on each kiosk, authorities said.

In reality, the churches unknowingly became responsible for the full purchase price of the kiosk, state Attorney General Mike Cox said in a press release.

Leasing companies paid Morris and Perkins approximately $27,000 for each of the kiosks, but because there was no "national sponsor" to make the payments, the leasing companies later demanded payment directly from the churches, Cox said.

William Perkins

In some cases, Cox said, the contracts allowed leasing companies to take funds directly from church bank accounts, leaving them in economic distress.

Churches in Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Inkster, Ferndale, Highland Park and Port Huron also were scammed.

In Ypsilanti, the affected churches were Grace Fellowship Church of God in Christ, 401 S. Adams St.; Mount Olive Church of God in Christ, 436 Hawkins St.; and Whitehead Memorial Church of God in Christ, 1450 Midway Blvd.

Morris and Perkins also are accused of targeting more than 160 churches in 13 other states and the District of Columbia, authorities said.