A judge sentenced a member of gospel music's Winans family to nearly 14 years in prison Wednesday for an $8 million financial scam that was promoted in church pulpits.
Author | Message |
Michael Winans Jr. Gets Nearly 14 Years In Prison For Financial Scam SMH:
Michael Winans Jr. Gets Nearly 14 Years In Prison For Financial ScamA judge sentenced a member of gospel music's Winans family to nearly 14 years in prison Wednesday for an $8 million financial scam that was promoted in church pulpits. Two of Michael Winans Jr.'s victims spoke in federal court, telling a judge that the scheme to sell Saudi Arabian oil bonds robbed some people of their life savings, caused divorces and fractured many families.
"I want to apologize to everyone. ... These were decisions that were negligent and irresponsible," said Winans, of Jessup, Md.
He said he had no "malicious intent" but acknowledged that he continued to collect money even after he learned that the bonds were bogus.
Winans attracted more than 1,000 investors in 2007 and 2008, although he didn't know them all because many were recruited by others through word of mouth. He promised 100 percent returns in two months, then used the money for personal expenses or to pay off earlier investors. About 600 people are still owed $4.7 million in total.
Winans, 30, is a third-generation member of one of gospel music's first families. He's the grandson of Delores "Mom" Winans and David "Pop" Winans Sr., and the son of Michael Winans Sr., a member of the Winans, a quartet of brothers. His uncle, Marvin Winans, gave the eulogy at Whitney Houston's funeral.
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Not surprising. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
These religiously devout families almost never practice what they preach and even their own children are screwing up. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
MJ L.O.V.E: https://www.facebook.com/...689&type=2 / YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/us...nderSilent | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
They are from Detroit. Marvin was robbed at gun point and his suv stolen a couple months ago at a gas station. To make a thief, make an owner; to create crime, create laws. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Why blame an entire family for the idiot antics of one fool who fell to temptation? Considering every person has a thing called free will, that doesn't seem particularly fair. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Well, Bebe and Marvin Winans surely seem like pillars of their community, right? | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
To make a thief, make an owner; to create crime, create laws. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
And to reiterate, I wasn't blaming the Winans. All I was saying is, I should've said some, religious families don't always practice what they preach. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I'm not sure if i agree with the length of the sentence but oh well. Another dummy bites the dust. Rest in Peace Bettie Boo. See u soon. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I'm really pissed about this sentence. Not that this guy probably doesn't deserve to go to jail, but this is some low level peanut scam compared to the scams pulled by the Bush family on behalf of Gorge W. Bush, Mitt Romney at Bain Capital, and most of Wall Street during the 2008 financial crash. If this guy is going to get 14 years for this scam, then Bush, Ronmey, and all of the other Wall Street need to spend the rest of their lives in Supermax.
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
The bigger problem i have besides Winans Jr. spearheading this scam is with the people who fell for this crap. Throw a get rich quick scheme in someone's face even the church folk they will come a running. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is bogus. Don't laugh at my funk
This funk is a serious joint | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Maybe he's the one Winans who can't sing. Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
That was Mario. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I agree. The system is all messed up. Rest in Peace Bettie Boo. See u soon. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Don't laugh at my funk
This funk is a serious joint | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Maybe it's just me but I would have been highly suspect if I were in church and someone got up in the pulpit talking about how he could help me invest/make money. "It's not nice to fuck with K.B.! All you haters will see!" - Kitbradley
"The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing." - Socrates | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
This is the same family that has members that sang an anti-gay song, members that have been arrested for domestic violence?
Yeah, shady dealings seems about right. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Very sad on both ends for his victims and for him. Damn! 14 years | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Besides Aretha Franklin and her father C.L. the Winans are gospel music for Detroit. The family for the most part is a good family, but like all families they have some members that do messed up shit! But some of the comments on here about their family is just cold-their music has brought joy to millions on gospel music lovers. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Just because I like their music don't mean my comments on them were harsh... take the good with the bad I guess. I understand it would be harsh because you're from there (Detroit) but hey. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Calm down Timmy Just making a statement | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Detroit has been ran to the ground. It's unfortunate that this young fellow got caught up and took the fall for what has been a common way of his elder peers doing business in Detroit. Im certain he was confident that he had all the right people in the right places to cover his ass should any trouble arrive. To make a thief, make an owner; to create crime, create laws. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
you're right. when you peer beneath the bernie madoff scam, you find the same thing. the returns were of the "too good to be true" variety.
reputable firms were only giving their investors about about half of what the madoff investors were getting, so they should have wanted to know why bernie was able to give them so much more.
couple this with the secretive, exclusive nature of buying into his firm and the subsequent "statements" that they would get that came on a dot matrix printer from a little office somewhere in queens, i think. i watched this documentary about it, and there were all sorts of red flags around madoff that should have tipped a lot of these people off. many of the people were already weathy so a decent return on their investment from a reputable firm should have been good enough, but no, they were greedy and wanted more. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I'm calm. I would've been on caps lock and posting exclamation points if I wasn't. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Makes me think of a real winner--Creflo Dollar$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato
https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0 | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Preach. I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |