US Edition
GA Church Cult Leaders Stole Millions, Arranged Marriages: Feds
Church leaders exploited military members by funneling $23.5 million in veterans education benefits into church accounts and profited $5.2 million from rental properties, authorities said.
- Federal and local authorities arrested Rony Denis, leader of House of Prayer Christian Churches, at his Georgia mansion on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
- The arrest followed an indictment unsealed the same day accusing Denis and seven other leaders of defrauding military members by exploiting veterans’ education benefits and committing bank fraud.
- Authorities say the church pressured military personnel to enroll in seminaries paying tuition with GI Bill benefits, funneling over $23 million into church accounts while leasing homes for $5.2 million in rent.
- The indictment alleges Denis used a stolen identity since 1983, filed false tax returns from 2018 to 2020, and helped manipulate members through coercion, arranged marriages, and forced living conditions.
- Denis remains jailed in Jefferson County, and the case highlights years of exploitation targeting veterans and church members for personal enrichment through fraud schemes.
15 Articles
15 Articles
'At its core, it was a cult': Past House of Prayer member says
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)-- Leaders tied to the House of Prayer Christian Church of America (HOPCC) were indicted recently and a past member shared their experience with both the church and leadership. "It was cult, at its core it was a cult that was a real estate slash [Veterans Affair] scam," a former member of the church told WSAV Thursday. Taiana Moreno was born into the House of Prayer Church in Washington until her teen years. At the age of 17,…
Accused cult leaders stole $23M from veterans at GA church: feds
A group of church leaders, described by former members as cult figures, stole $23 million from veterans in a wide-ranging scheme, federal investigators said Wednesday. The scheme centered around House of Prayer Christian Churches, a group based in Georgia with houses of worship near military bases in five different states, the Justice Department said in a press release. The church’s leader was known as Rony Denis, but his first and last name are…
AZ Family - Phoenix
Mysterious leader of cult that scams veterans arrested during mansion raid, FBI says
A man considered by many to be the leader of a cult was arrested by local and federal authorities at his Georgia mansion Wednesday.
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