Dr. Jerry Gross, 72, and his son, Jason Lee Gross, 51, pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Both men are pictured on the Word of Faith Fellowship’s website under a section for pastors and ministers, though the church was not mentioned during the hearing. Other than the men’s spouses, no church members attended Friday’s hearing in federal court in Asheville. AP cited 11 former congregants in September who said dozens of church members filed bogus claims at various times at the direction of church leaders. The AP also revealed how, over the course of two decades, followers were ordered by church leaders to lie to authorities investigating reports of abuse.

Source: National Post May 25, 2018 16:33 UTC