Manhunt for Fake Missionary Who Stole $30M From Christian Charities in Bible Scam

Even if he's never caught by the authorities, there'll likely be hell to pay for this smooth-talking accused conman.

Jason Gerald Shenk, formerly of Dublin, Ga., allegedly scammed more than $30 million from two Christian charity organizations under the guise of sending Bibles to China, instead spending the funds on online gambling, gold and diamonds, life insurance policies and credit cards. 

Shenk was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of wire fraud and 37 counts of money laundering, according to the US Attorney's office in the Southern District of Georgia.   

The accused grifter, 45, who renounced his US citizenship in 2016, is now the subject of an international manhunt. 

“When people of faith donate money for evangelistic purposes, they reasonably expect those who solicit their donations to act as faithful stewards of those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg said in a news release on Tuesday.

“This case alleges an egregious breach of that trust at the expense of multiple charities and individual donors.”

According to the indictment, Shenk posed as a missionary to solicit funds from faith-based charities and donors from communities in Ohio and North Carolina on promises he would use the contributions to produce and distribute Bibles and Christian literature in China. 

He took $22 million from one charity and $10 million from the other between April 2010 and July 2019. 

To cover his tracks, the indictment says Shenk provided the charities with fake spreadsheets and distribution lists showing the number of Bibles sent overseas.

Shenk laundered the money using banks and shell companies around the world, including in the British Virgin Islands, the Samoan Islands and Singapore, according to the court documents.

Instead of using the funds for the religious materials, Shenk made payments of $1 million to an online sports betting website, used $4 million to buy 16 life insurance policies in the names of several people, bought $1 million worth of diamonds, gold and other precious metals; paid $7 million to the company running the Shenk's family farm; and made payments of $820,000 on 10 personal credit cards, the indictment says. 

Warrants have been issued for Shenk's arrest. 

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the charges.