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Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008

Ex-pastor, ex-banker hit with racketeering charges in Bibb County

A former Macon pastor and a former Macon banker were indicted Tuesday by a Bibb County grand jury on RICO charges stemming from an alleged scheme to swindle church members into taking out fraudulent loans totaling more than $600,000, according to court records.

The indictment names Steven Pittman, a former employee of BB&T Bank in Macon and Jimmy Collins, former pastor of God’s Worship Center on Gray Highway.

Collins said he was unaware of the indictment. “Nothing was done intentional or unethical,” he said Tuesday. He said he was going to get legal counsel and declined to comment further.

The indictment charges Collins and Pittman with violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, bank fraud, criminal attempt to commit bank fraud, residential mortgage fraud, criminal attempt to commit residential mortgage fraud, forgery, theft, criminal attempt to commit theft by taking and theft by deception, according to court records.

Between July 5, 2002, and May 16, 2008, Pittman and Collins allegedly used Pittman’s position as a bank officer to obtain loans and lines of credit for about 10 church members, according to the records.

As pastor of the church, Collins is accused of using his position and influence to identify potential borrowers who “lacked financial sophistication” to “assist” the church, the church’s One Step alcohol and drug rehabilitation program or the Car Vision car lot in which he was a silent partner, according to court records.

Collins allegedly convinced his congregation that “it was their Christian duty and they needed to obtain these loans in order to fulfill God’s will for their lives,” according to the records.

Collins further is accused of telling church members that they were at no personal financial risk because the church, One Step or car lot would be responsible for any repayment for the bank loans, according to the records.

Collins and Pittman provided false financial information about the church members in banking documents, submitted forged documents to the bank and misrepresented the true use of the loan funds, according to court records.

To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398.