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Posted on Thu, Dec 23, 2010 : 10:14 a.m.

Men who bilked churches out of $660,000 sentenced to prison

By AnnArbor.com Staff

Two Maryland men convicted in a scheme that tried to bilk 21 black churches in Michigan — including three in Ypsilanti — out of about $660,000 have been sentenced to prison.

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox said in a statement that Michael Morris of Waldorf was sentenced Wednesday to up to 20 years in prison. William Perkins of Oxon Hill was sentenced to up to 20 years.

They were earlier convicted of felony counts including racketeering and conspiracy to commit false pretenses.

Authorities say companies gave Morris and Perkins funding for electronic kiosks delivered to churches in Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Inkster, Ferndale, Highland Park, Port Huron and Ypsilanti.

Church officers believed they were leasing the video terminals, but learned they had signed purchase agreements instead.

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.

Comments

ThaKillaBee

Fri, Dec 24, 2010 : 1:29 a.m.

"Bilked?"

#2liberal

Thu, Dec 23, 2010 : 12:32 p.m.

it says up to 20 years, meaning they will probably serve 3 or 4 years and parole. In 5 five years time after only being out a short time is it likely they will have victimized about 12 people which is statistically how many times someone on parole committs new crimes a year against someone. That is a MDOC fact that they they our anyone else brings up hardly ever, but if you work with parolee's, the MDOC, or in the courts you know even this figure might be low. Here's to you "Corrections".

njneere

Thu, Dec 23, 2010 : 11:04 a.m.

If this would have been embezzlement, they would do a year or so..