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First, Robert Tuttle of The Reason Files 2 is reporting the same thing I am hearing from multiple sources. Management set up independent separate } el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el); Two former executives committed fraud to hide their financial mismanagement of the Baptist Foundation of Arizona, but they didn't line their own pockets, jurors said in convicting them Monday. BFA ultimately filed for bankruptcy, and thousands of elderly investors lost In order to remove those loans from its books, the BFA secretly funneled money to a subsidiary. Over lunch in February 1997 with an auditor from Arthur Andersen LLP, a recently resigned accountant from the Baptist Foundation of Arizona had disturbing things to say about her former employer's investment practices. to mitigate the real estate losses. PC Phone Home real estate in exchange for notes receivable valued in the millions of dollars. (function(){var g=function(e,h,f,g){this.get=function(a){for(var a=a+"=",c=document.cookie.split(";"),b=0,e=c.length;b=e/100?0:100),a=[h,e,0],this.set(f,a.join(":"));else return!0;var c=a[1];if(100==c)return!0;switch(a[0]){case "v":return!1;case "r":return c=a[2]%Math.floor(100/c),a[2]++,this.set(f,a.join(":")),!c}return!0};this.go=function(){if(this.check()){var a=document.createElement("script");a.type="text/javascript";a.src=g+ "&t=" + (new Date()).getTime();document.body&&document.body.appendChild(a)}};this.start=function(){var a=this;window.addEventListener?window.addEventListener("load",function(){a.go()},!1):window.attachEvent&&window.attachEvent("onload",function(){a.go()})}};try{(new g(100,"r","QSI_S_ZN_3NNZu19yzvgN7tr","//zn3nnzu19yzvgn7tr-nysscpa.siteintercept.qualtrics.com/WRSiteInterceptEngine/?Q_ZID=ZN_3NNZu19yzvgN7tr&Q_LOC="+encodeURIComponent(window.location.href))).start()}catch(i){}})(); Inadequate disclosure regarding ALO and New Church Ventures Its bankruptcy late in 2001 caused about 4,000 employees to lose their jobs, while stock losses wiped out their retirement savings and prompted many business reforms. The Baptist Foundation of Arizona was founded in 1948 by the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention for the purpose of raising and managing endowment funds to further Southern Baptist causes. The Enron scandal has entered the BFA picture, according to Andersens Phoenix attorney, Ed Novak. A jury on Monday found former foundation president William Crotts guilty of three counts of fraud and one count of illegally conducting an enterprise, according to the Arizona Attorney General's Office, which prosecuted the case. Foundation officials and others involved in the investment scandal that led to the collapse may eventually face both civil and criminal charges. Both options for investors have limitations. The Baptist Foundation of California. Up to $40 million is available for the cash-out plan. statements. All eyes are on Houston this week, as jury selection gets underway for the long-awaited criminal trials of former Enron leaders Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling on charges of corporate fraud. 2023 Southern Baptist Convention. Napolitanos office began its legal initiatives against Andersen on behalf of the Arizona Accountancy Board in December 2000 over allegations the firm failed to conduct proper audits on BFAs financial statements. 'adunits' : 'Default' , More information may be obtained by contacting the Foundation at 10255 Old Columbia Rd., Columbia MD, 21046, or by contacting Tom Stolle at (800) 466-5290, ext. A new management committee of Joe Panter, Mark Roberts and Mark Dickerson is installed. Sept. 10, 1999 BFA lays off 72 employees and closes offices in Youngtown and Tucson. with a questioning mind, recognizing the possibility that fraud may be present, If more than $40-million in claims are made, investors will have to share the money on a prorated basis, receiving even less than 20 cents on the dollar. The Arizona Southern Baptist Convention was founded in 1928. 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The BFA had issued millions of dollars in money-losing loans. The foundation was created 51 years ago by the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention to raise money and manage the endowments of Southern Baptist charities, and through its history, the foundation has provided a total of $1.3-million in gifts to church causes. Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens. Lessons By 1997, ALO had a negative net worth of $138.9 and owed BFA $70.3 million Its initial mission was to raise donations and support var pixelurl = ((document.location.protocol === 'https') ? June 3, 2010 -- Tina Anderson was only 15 when she said she was forced to stand terrified before her entire Baptist congregation to confess her . By Jonathan Weil Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal. The BFA case involves the largest Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by a nonprofit organization in U.S. history and the March 1 settlement was approximately twice the largest malpractice court settlement previously agreed to by Chicago-based Arthur Andersen. Wednesday, June 10, 2009. View Notes - Baptist Foundation of Arizona from ACCT 2101 at Kennesaw State University. This page contains information The Cult Education Institute has gathered. Aug. 5, 1999 BFAs board returned all client checks received since July 22; suspended redemption of all investment products; retained Squire, Sanders, and Dempsey, LLP, an international law firm. for ALO and New Church Ventures, but management refused to release the statements. 1991 to 1994 statements and an adverse opinion on the 1995 to 1997 financial Both ALO and New Church Ventures plans to church members. Napolitano and the Arizona Corporation Commission then filed a civil lawsuit against Andersen in January 2001, seeking civil remedies for violations of the Arizona Securities and Consumer Fraud Act. honesty and integrity. The 1996 information, some red flag warnings that fraud was occurring, led to the Andersen settlement. Got a confidential news tip? Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Controversial Arizona pastor Steven Anderson, the firebrand KJV-Onlyist from Faithful word Baptist Church in Tempe, AZ, has been permanently banned from Youtube, having his entire operation shout down from multiple accounts. CT previously covered the scandal involving Jack Schaapformer pastor of the largest independent Baptist congregation, First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indianawho was fired in 2012 and . own, and both organizations paid BFA substantial management fees to provide In applying SAS 99, auditors should plan and execute every audit (Phoenix, Ariz. - June 10, 2009) Attorney General Terry Goddard today announced that the Arizona Court of Appeals has upheld the convictions and sentences of former Baptist Foundation of Arizona executives William Crotts and Thomas Grabinski. The Baptist Crotts and Grabinski could face six to 23 years for each count. Andersen blamed WorldCom for the scandal, insisting that the . The newspaper also quoted Arizona Corporation Commission Chairman Bill Mundell as saying, How do you break the news to an elderly couple who risked their life savings? The Arizona Republic called it a stunning blow to 13,000 BFA investors who had been told the March 1 settlement would, by the end of the year, help recoup 44 percent of an overall $585 million loss in the nonprofit agencys collapse. A written statement from the foundation says that at the completion of the bankruptcy proceedings and the creation of a new for-profit company, the Baptist Foundation of Arizona will no longer exist. All rights reserved. Baptist Foundation of Arizona WorldCom Enron Sunbeam scandal Andersen knew of the bill-and-hold schemes Waste Management Scandal Avoided depreciation expenses, Andersen knew about it and received bribes for issuing clean audit opinions. if (typeof window === 'undefined') return; //end OneTrust Redirect if (mps.response && mps.response.dart && typeof(mps.response.dart.adunits) === 'object') { 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. both in and outside of management. than ever for auditors to employ sound fraud-detection audit procedures in First, it was critical for BFA to meet the Treasury regulations Looming losses hidden in off . Improving and strengthening fraud detection is at the heart Kyle Cooper. The majority of New Church Ventures [1], Each of these related companies had Bill Crotts and the BFA's chief attorney, Tom Grabinski, on their board. })(); In 1997 a former employee sought a job at Buckner Baptist Benevolences in Dallas that BFA was hiding losses in bad bank loans, while conducting a Ponzi scheme, which at one point included a strategy of encouraging elderly people to borrow against their homes and invest proceeds with the Foundation. In 1948, the Baptist Foundation of Arizona was founded in 1948 and initially sought to provide a financial revenue for participants while supporting Baptist-motivated causes. STORAGE: 6, Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. const COOKIE_REGEX = /groups=([^&]*)/; The CPA Journal. However, the State Board Legal Statement. STRICTLY_NECESSARY: 1, [15] At the time, this settlement was the second largest settlement in the nation's history for a Big Five accounting firm that was not related to the Savings and Loan collapses of 1986 to 1995. incorporated both nonprofit entities. Hunsinger subsequently used the property as collateral to obtain a US$6.8M loan from the BFA. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. s.src = "https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/files/2020/03/28/VisitorAPI.js"; In BFA's early days, it focused its attention BFA invested heavily in real estate, a more speculative investment strategy than other Baptist foundations in the state traditionally used. financial assistance was not expected to come from any other source. Last July, two executives from the Baptist Foundation of Arizona were convicted of fraud and racketeering after more than 11,000 investors lost more than $550 million perhaps the largest case of Christian fraud in American history. For example, on one day Grabinski attested to the value of a piece of property twice. . BFA informed Arizona Southern Baptist pastors of the financial crisis at a retreat held last weekend at the Wigwam Resort. One pastor who had recently entrusted $1 million in church funds to. that audit public companies, in todays environment it is more important View Jasmine's full profile See who you know in common Get introduced . A report has been made to law enforcement, and I'm guessing . ', window.location); Oct. 7, 2009 -- It's a practice that appeals to some people but disturbs many others: freezing the deceased in the hope . var CNBC_Premium = CNBC_Premium || {}; Start Here; Testimonials; Contact Us; Start Here; Testimonials; Contact Us; Location. About 11,000 investorsmany of them elderly members of Baptist churches in Arizona and elsewherelost more than $550 million. implementation is being urged. Text. Griebel said she left messages at Andersens offices in Phoenix and Chicago warning the Foundation was broke, but they were never answered. He is pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church, an anti-LGBTQ hate group in Tempe, Arizona. credible tips or complaints are received about management fraud, auditors The March 1 settlement had prompted the cancellation of a March 4 trial against Andersen in Arizonas Maricopa County for its failure to warn investors about BFA financial irregularities described as a Ponzi scheme that led to its collapse. if (isOneTrustAnyBlocked()) { In other words, it had become a classic mps._adsheld.push(adunit) The Baptist Foundation of Arizona -- a non-profit fundraiser dedicated to the church. of Arizona (BFA) engaged in one of the most audacious fraud schemes on record. to these companies and received notes receivable that were recorded at the BFAs liabilities included approximately $585 million owed to investors. 'cag[related_primary]' : '' , It expects that its preferred stock will start paying annual dividends of 6 per cent by 2002. 'cag[type_cnbcteam]' : 'CNBC US Team' , d.setTime(d.getTime() + 60 * 60 * 24 * 30 * 1000); leadership, the foundation engaged in a major strategic shift in its business. Former Alcor employee makes harsh allegations against cyronics foundation. Perceiving a lack of response, most resigned. When asked if a conflict of interest existed, the BFA indicated that both parties "had waived any conflicts of interest. function getOneTrustCookie() { {"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "WebPage","url": "https://www.cnbc.com/id/100000099","keywords": ["CNBC TV","Primetime Shows 2","American Greed","source:tagname:CNBC US Source"]} console.log('PUB-GDPR-CHECK all blocked. What clues did the The additional possibility of a bankruptcy filing by Andersen, the newspaper reported April 2, could delay any payment for years and lump the BFA investors in a pool with other Andersen creditors, including thousands of Enron stockholders.. of fraud and even more critical to engage in effective audit procedures to var d = new Date(); The collapse of Bryant Financial Associates was a complete scandal that exposed the fraudulent activities of its executives. Former general counsel Thomas Grabinski was convicted of three counts of fraud and one count of illegally conducting an enterprise. was used to pay interest on old money. BAPTIST FOUNDATION OF ARIZONA The Baptist Foundation of Arizona (BFA), which Andersen served as auditor, lost $570 million of donor funds. The BFA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy that November, listing assets of $220 million and liabilities of $640 million. Login Here. if (!_qs) { Buckner also used Anderson and turned the information over to the firm. For example, the Phoenix New Times reported a case wherein an individual wanted to sell a US$1.9M (million) piece of asbestos-contaminated property to the BFA for US$1 as a tax write off. real estate bubble burst and property values declined substantially. The Cacaces were among 11,000 investors who lost a combined $580 million when the Baptist Foundation of Arizona, or BFA, a registered nonprofit, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999 in what prosecutors described as a Ponzi scheme. var setAdblockerCookie = function(adblocker) { mps._queue.adload = mps._queue.adload || []; Defense lawyers said they plan to ask Judge Kenneth Fields to dismiss the charges, and plan to appeal if he doesn't. }; Andersen opposed that request in court, the trust said; the Arthur Andersen Internet site, meanwhile, makes no mention of its latest BFA actions. var mps = mps || {}; Looking for your Investment Portal? head.insertBefore(mpsload, head.firstChild) The foundation's bankruptcy marks one of the biggest financial collapses ever by a charity. Scandals and stock market crashes . ideas on how fraud could occur and adjust the audit program plan so that tests Potential financial losses in the case overshadow the losses accumulated by non-profit groups and donors who gave money to the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy. aside any prior beliefs as to managements honesty. mps.__timer = Date.now ? . mps.insertAd("#" + slotid, adunit) they use. about the Baptist Foundation of Arizona. baptist foundation of arizona scandal. //begin OneTrust Redirect if (!oneTrustCookie) return true; mps._queue.adclone = mps._queue.adclone || []; in 1985, which highlights just how dramatically the foundations mission } Founded in 1948, BFA was created as a nonprofit agency of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention. mps.__intcode = "v2"; But it also "loaned" nearly $140 million to companies owned by three of the Foundation's directors. Aug. 28, 1999 The BFA board of directors votes to terminate the employment of William Crotts, Thomas Grabinski, and Donald Deardorff. isEEARegionCheck(); [11] Independent of the abuse of process ruling, the original Arizona Superior Court ruling was upheld by the Arizona Court of Appeals in March 2005, at which point National Union paid the $2.5 million to Grabinski. by the Arizona State Board of Accountancy. 'is_sponsored' : '0' , is the cornerstone of a multifaceted effort by the accounting profession to 'subtype' : 'primetime_show' , 'cag[configuration_franchise]' : 'American Greed' , To this day, it is considered one of the largest affinity frauds in U.S history. Redirecting. } mps._ext = mps._ext || {}; }).catch(() => {}); The second time, on the same day, he declared the same piece of property was valued at $960,000.[4]. Also, as a condition to the court-approved arrangement, the partner and the on funding church start-ups and providing aid for children and the elderly. Aug. 10, 1999 The Arizona Corporation Commission and Attorney General Janet Napolitano order the BFA and two related corporations to cease and desist from violating the Arizona Securities Act. evidence. New Church Ventures function isOneTrustAnyBlocked() { } The following were some of the key warnings: Cases like the Baptist Foundation, along with other corporate frauds, have There are thousands and thousands of people in our communities who have lost their savings or what they counted on for monthly income, says C. Truett Baker, former president of the Arizona Baptist Childrens Services, an agency of the states Southern Baptist Convention. the Arizona Corporation Commission as required by state law. } } mpsload.src = "//" + mpsopts.host + "/fetch/ext/load-" + mpscall.site + ".js?nowrite=2"; During its history, it did indeed return about $1.3 million to Baptist causes. [1] Grabinski signed documents as an officer for both BFA and a subsidiary. The state also is continuing to press criminal charges against five former BFA executives, including William Pierre Crotts, the former chief executive officer. 'cag[attribution_author]' : 'Stacy Keach' , The Baptist Foundation of Arizona (BFA) was a Southern Baptist charity, which executed an affinity fraud on unwitting worshippers in the Southern Baptist community in Arizona, leading to the largest collapse of a religious financial institution in U.S. history. Since August, the foundation has fired its top three officials, severed ties with the law and accounting firms with which it had worked, laid off 72 of its 127 employees, and closed its two branch offices. July 14, 1999 Arizona Corporation Commission accuses Baptist Foundation of Arizona, Arizona Southern Baptist New Church Ventures, Inc. and Christian Financial Partners, Inc. of violating Arizona Securities Act. if (result && result.geo && result.geo.country_code) { The BFA consistently sold the concept that its main objective was to help its investors serve the work of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention, while also providing them with favorable returns, as stated in a BFA investor brochure: We are a ministry dedicated to serving the Lord and furthering Southern Baptist and other Christian causes. Arthur Andersen Faces Court Trial Over Baptist Investment Foundation. document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) { regarding the disclosure of related parties and the recognition of losses, })(); mps._queue.gptloaded = mps._queue.gptloaded || []; At the center of the scandal is Crotts, a charismatic 53-year-old lawyer, who took over the BFA from his father in 1982. The BFA was not interested in making this purchase. mpsload.id = "mps-load"; } Bob Allen is managing editor of EthicsDaily.com. 'cag[type_source]' : 'CNBC US Source' , In the case, it claims that Arthur Anderson gave investors a false sense of security after giving out Anderson issued a clean audit in order to attract new investors. The Cacaces were among 11,000 investors who lost a combined $580 million when the Baptist Foundation of Arizona, or BFA, a registered nonprofit, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999 in. Superior Ct. Maricopa County, CV 2002-005117. document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(script); In a short time, it had created a complicated web of dozens of interlocking non-profit and for-profit subsidiaries to operate its real-estate and other investment deals. } can are designed to be unpredictable and unexpected. 'cat' : 'CNBC TV|Primetime Shows 2|American Greed' , Baptist Foundation of Arizona's auditor Arthur Anderson Illegal practices of Baptist Foundation of Arizona Holding company with losses of $585 million Told everyone they were building churches Global Crossing's auditor Arthur Anderson Global Crossing illegal practices Borrowing money and changing the origin var script = document.createElement("script"); assets were receivables from the insolvent ALO. [14] The court signing off on the settlement meant that the BFA Liquidation Trust had standing should Andersen which was at the time being charged for issues surrounding Enron be unable to make that payment. SAS 99 is effective for audits of financial } })(); We are unable to fully display the content of this page. Its only significant asset was 1,357 acres of undeveloped land in San Miguel County, New Mexico. 'site' : 'cnbc-mobile' , Paul D. Nelson, president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, a watchdog group in Winchester, Va., says that the Arizona foundations bankruptcy, like New Eras high-profile collapse, reflects poorly on religious organizations as a whole. }; Inadequate disclosure of losses on notes receivables due 'content_id' : '100000099' , To this day, it is considered one of the largest affinity frauds in U.S history. An investigation being conducted by Arizonas Attorney Generals office and the states Corporation Commission has already revealed that the foundation used bogus transactions and accounting tricks to hide financial losses and mislead potential investors. return true; typeof mps._gptfirst == "function" && mps._gptfirst(adunit, slotid); Market data provided by Factset. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Andersens conviction in 2005, but it is unlikely the nearly defunct company will ever recover as a respected business. Nov. 7, 1999 BFA unveils a restructuring plan that would give investors the choice of a cash-out option worth 20 cents on the dollar or shares in a newly created for-profit company. The Cacaces were among 11,000 investors who lost a combined $580 million when the Baptist Foundation of Arizona, or BFA, a registered nonprofit, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999 in what prosecutors described as a Ponzi scheme. For example, Select Trading Group, a subsidiary of ALO, created its own subsidiary, Santa Fe Trails Ranch II. It is expected to last until at least March, with an estimated cost of $1.6 million to Arizona taxpayers.