Rodney McGill

Shalonda McGill

A Jensen Beach pastor and his wife face additional charges of theft in an ongoing investigation by the state Department of Financial Services in which the couple is accused of defrauding investors out of $8 million in faulty real estate schemes.

Rodney and Shalonda McGill were arrested in September on allegations of mortgage fraud, grand theft, racketeering and other charges connected to properties they sold to investors as part of the “Fab 5” investment promotion featured on Rodney McGill’s local radio program.

The latest charges, two counts of grand theft in the first degree, stem from two real estate deals in which the McGills’ actions allegedly caused Clarence Fleming and Ella Mae Fleming of Vero Beach to lose more than $100,000 in property and cash.

The McGills illegally obtained a mortgage in the Fleming’s name on a property in Jacksonville and also took about $157,000 from the sale of a home in Vero Beach, according to a release by state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink. The charges were announced Wednesday.

Rodney McGill, 43, is the pastor of New Hope Outreach Center in Jensen Beach and established the Young Millionaires Group, an investment company that has also become the center of a state investigation.
Shalonda McGill, 37, was the mortgage broker who processed the loans for the buyers. Investigators said the investors bought the properties previously owned by Shalonda McGill at marked up prices, relying on promises from the McGills that the properties would be later resold for a profit.

The Flemings attended a real estate seminar hosted by the McGills at a library in Stuart. They became friendly; the Flemings told investigators they though of the McGills as family.

The additional charges mean the McGills each face up to 30 years in prison as well as additional penalties for theft from people above the age of 65.

They are being held on $1.73 million bond apiece, which includes an additional $500,000 added this week to reflect the latest charges.

The state Department of Financial Services has received about 100 phone calls about the McGills since it launched its investigation.

Anyone with information about the McGills is asked to contact Detective Ted Padich at 561-837-5635 with the Division of Insurance Fraud or Investigator Steve Brignola at 561-837-5233, with the Office of Financial Regulation.

Tags: McGill, New Hope Outreach Center

This entry was posted on Friday, November 28th, 2008 at 6:07 pm and is filed under Crime, Jensen Beach, Martin County, Stuart. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.