QUESTION 8:

A Church filed a criminal complaint against Mr. Telchin after he spoke there but Stan denies it - what is the truth?

ANSWER 8:

On Sunday, July 21, 2002, at the request of Jews for Jesus, Terrace Palms Community Church hosted Stan Telchin as their Sunday morning guest speaker.  After he spoke there, the church learned that he was already the subject of a criminal investigation being conducted by the Manatee County Sheriff's office, the IRS and the FBI. The church learned that not only was Stan fully aware that he was the subject of a criminal investigation, but Jews for Jesus had also been made aware almost a year earlier in a very detailed letter informing them of the situation. The board of Stan Telchin Ministries, with whom the founder of Jews for Jesus (Moishe Rosen) served as a board member, acknowledged receipt of that letter. The next day after speaking, Stan would send fundraising letters to the membership of the church asking for financial support (click here).  When he spoke at the church he presented himself as 'Rev. Stan Telchin' and since his claims to have been ordained have been seriously questioned.  He would also tell the church he had a Ph.D. which he does not have.

The existing investigation (prior to his appearance at Terrace Palms Community Church) concerned Stan's handling of donor money to Stan Telchin Ministries, Inc. following an audit of the ministry books conducted by the treasurer and board member (to Stan's unawares in November 2000) (click here to see the treasurer's comments). After consulting with the FBI and the Manatee County Sheriff's office, law enforcement asked the church to file a complaint against Stan with the Hillsborough County Sheriff.   The church filed their complaint on August 16, 2002, Law Enforcement Report Number 02079125, Detective Assigned: Detective Bruce, tel: 813.247.8585 (click here to see information provided by the sheriff on that report).  The church then notified the congregation of their action (click here). I was not a party to the complaint and I never saw the complaint and what it alleged. I do not know what the final disposition of the complaint was.

The situation involving Stan Telchin, Jews for Jesus and Terrace Palms Community Church reveals much about the depth of Stan's deception in and out of the pulpit.  It also reveals much about the internal thinking of Jews for Jesus and just how careless and irresponsible they were regarding the matter and how their irresponsibility put so many people at risk and hurt so many others.

What follows is a detailed timeline with documentation to include internal Jews for Jesus letters that puts the Terrace Palms Community Church matter into a full context.  It is well worth your read:

A. PRIOR TO STAN'S APPEARANCE AT TERRACE PALMS COMMUNITY CHURCH, BOTH STAN AND JEWS FOR JESUS WERE MADE FULLY AWARE THAT CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN FILED AGAINST STAN AND THAT AN ACTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATION WAS UNDERWAY:

1.   November 18, 2000:  Stan gets married and leaves for a two week honeymoon in Europe.  While he is away and to his unawares, the ministry financial records for Stan Telchin Ministries, Inc. are audited (click here to see the treasurer's letter later sent to Jews for Jesus and click here to see my letter to Stan's donors).  Upon my father's return, every effort was made to sit down with him and correct what had been found.  He refused all attempts and started taking hostile legal action against my family and I including, firing me as ministry secretary and trying to evict my family and I from the family home. Once he had served the eviction on us, he would then have his lawyer send us a proposed legal agreement to sign which said if we did not reveal what we knew, he would not evict us. (read it here) We refused and voluntarily left town. That was late January 2001 and I have not heard from nor spoken to my father since. He refuses all contact with me and even returns my mail unopened and marked refused.

2.  In Spring 2001, criminal complaints regarding Stan's handling of donor money were filed with the Manatee County Sheriff's office.  It had been discovered, among other things, that Stan Telchin Ministries had actually been forfeited by the State of Maryland. Local law enforcement passed the matter to the FBI due to multi-jurisdictional issues.  Eventually, the FBI would pass the matter to the IRS which had been conducting its own investigation and eventually Stan would be called to an IRS audit and his ministry was shut down.

3.  In July 2001, Stan sent a newsletter to his donors announcing his new joint venture with Jews for Jesus.  In October 2001, Jews for Jesus announced to their donors the same joint venture (click here). Interestingly, Moishe Rosen, the founder of Jews for Jesus, was also a board member of Stan Telchin Ministries.

4.  On July 30, 2001, my husband sent a very detailed letter to Jews for Jesus and Stan informing them that criminal complaints had been filed against Stan.  Yet another letter was sent on August 1, 2001.  The only response was a non-response signed by Moishe Rosen and other board members on August 17, 2001.

5.  On August 4, 2001, Moishe Rosen sent Stan an email in which he tells Stan the only thing Stan needs to worry about is how my husband treats my son and I.  Moishe has never met or spoken to my husband (click here).

6. On July 12, 2002, my husband contacted Byron Spradlin, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Jews for Jesus, and sent him the actual criminal complaint filed against Stan and notified Byron that a criminal investigation was underway concerning Stan.  Byron sent an email back refusing to get involved.

B.  STAN SPEAKS AT TERRACE PALMS COMMUNITY CHURCH ON JULY 21, 2002:

1.  Stan speaks at Terrace palms Community Church as scheduled by Jews for Jesus.  Both he and Jews for Jesus have previously been informed repeatedly in writing that criminal complaints have been filed against Stan and that an active investigation is underway and being conducted by the Manatee County Sheriff's office, the IRS and the FBI.  During Stan's appearance at the church, he presents himself as 'Rev. Stan Telchin.'  It is doubtful that he is ordained as he claims (click here).  He also tells the congregation during his testimony that he has a Ph.D. which is an outright lie.  He follows his visit by mailing fundraising appeal letters to many people in the church (click here).

C.  TERRACE PALMS COMMUNITY CHURCH RESPONDS:

1.  On August 8, 2002, Terrace Palms Community Church sends Stan an email complaining to him that he came and spoke at their church knowing full well he was under an investigation (click here).

2.  Stan writes back and apologizes and insists that he did not know he was under an investigation and insists that Jews for Jesus did not know either.  His statements are outright lies (click here).

3.  August 9, 2002, Terrace Palms Community Church writes Jews for Jesus and makes complaint of Stan's conduct and openly copies the letter to other Jews for Jesus board members and Stan Telchin Ministries board members.  The letter is also copied to law enforcement and the FBI (click here).

4.  August 13, 2002, Stan emails Terrace Palms Community Church and urges them to call his pastor in an attempt to clear his name.  Stan also attaches a draft of his next newsletter which he intends to send his donors.  In that newsletter, he tells his donors that his computer had been hacked by Chris Lee (my husband) and warns them to be careful.  My husband never hacked anyone's computer, much less Stan's.  Stan did not realize that many people were (and had been) forwarding Stan's emails to us.

5.  August 13, 2002, My husband sends Stan and Jews for Jesus an email correcting what Stan has said and clarifying the erroneous record that Stan and Jews for Jesus had created (click here). He tells Stan not to send the proposed newsletter out, as it is factually incorrect.  Stan ends up not sending out that newsletter but instead issues a newsletter in which he outright lies to his donors about the nature of the criminal investigations That newsletter was sent to the FBI and IRS criminal investigators.  They did not take kindly to Stan's remarks.

6.  August 16, 2002, Detective Bud Johnson of the Manatee County Sheriff's office  would email my husband (click here) and in a subsequent call would inform us that Stan had called him and said he "wanted to come down and straighten things out."  Detective Johnson would inform him that it was not necessary as the matter had been forwarded to the FBI and it was now being handled by Special Agent Dave Street out of the FBI Sarasota office.  Agent Street would then call later that day and let us know that Stan had called him and said Stan "wanted to come down and straighten things out."  The FBI declined my father's offer telling him an investigation was underway and that if the FBI wanted to talk with him they would let him know.  Ultimately, the FBI passed the matter to the IRS and Stan was called to an audit. Eventually, Stan Telchin Ministries, Inc. was shut down.

7.  Moishe Rosen of Jews for Jesus writes Terrace Palms Community Church on August 13, 2002, in response to their letter and not only continues to support Stan, but also tells the church that my husband went to the FBI (click here).  What Moishe represented was absolutely false.

8.  David Brickner of Jews for Jesus writes Terrace Palms on August 15, 2002, and continues his support for Stan and reiterates that there is no investigation of Stan underway.  What David represented was absolutely false.

9.  August 23, 2002, Terrace Palms Community Church writes another letter to Jews for Jesus informing them that they have spoken to law enforcement directly and have confirmed that Stan is and has been under a criminal investigation. They also inform Jews for Jesus that their representations that my husband went to the FBI is incorrect.  They confirm that local law enforcement took the matter to the FBI.  They also inform Jews for Jesus that they have been asked by law enforcement to file a criminal complaint against Stan. They did just that.

In all of the years that the scandal involving my father has been unfolding, not one time has Jews for Jesus ever spoken to us.  Not once.  Nor have they ever spoken to the former treasurer and board member of Stan Telchin Ministries who performed the audit and whose findings would lead to the filing of criminal complaints against my father.