Have you ever wondered how Stan spent your donations to his ministry?  Probably not as after all, he would frequently send you newsletters by mail and tell you the great work God was doing through him and that without your money he could not do the ministry to which he says God called him.  He would continue to send these newsletters to you even after the State of Maryland forfeited Stan Telchin Ministries for noncompliance (click here). Undaunted, my father quickly moved to Florida where he would not register Stan Telchin Ministries with the State as required by law and he would continue to solicit, receive and spend your donations.

Ultimately, criminal complaints were filed concerning how Stan spent your money. That complaint was filed with the Manatee County Sheriff's office who then passed the investigation to the FBI. (click here) The IRS then took over the investigation and called Stan to an audit. Shortly after the audit, Stan Telchin Ministries was shut down.

In his February 2001 newsletter, he said to you, "Indeed, without your help, the work of this ministry could not continue." (click here)  In his May 2001 newsletter, he said, "Please know that without your financial support this ministry would just not be possible. I am not ashamed to say that I need you and would be blessed if you came alongside to help." (click here) "I need to point out that since I must raise all the financial support for our expanded work, I need you to partner with me more than ever before." (July 2001 newsletter - click here) "I really do need your help. Whether your tax-deductible gift is for $10 or $25 or $50 or $100 or more, I need your help on a monthly basis. Please be as generous as you can be." (July 2001 newsletter - click here) In other words, your money was the basis of Stan being able to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Another reason why you probably never questioned how your tax deductible donations were being spent by Stan is you never received any annual report or financial audits.  You just assumed that Stan was being honest when he said he needed your money to do the work to which God had called him.  He would never let a donor see any of the ministry tax returns (IRS Form 990) even though federal law required full disclosure. It could well be that he did not want anyone seeing those returns as he lied on those too, listing my beloved mother (who had already passed away) as the secretary and treasurer for the year 2000. He even listed on the tax return her living at an address she had never lived at.  It turns out the address he had her living at was the home address of his girl friend Elaine whom he would marry less than a year after my mother and his wife of 52 years died (click here).  He also lists me living at an incorrect address and list Clark Tyler as vice president. He wasn't. 

Unfortunately, he was not being honest.  He lied to you, he lied to me and he lied to his board by providing incomplete financial reports (click here).  The reality is he was spending thousands upon thousands of your dollars any way he desired. Here is how he spent many thousands of dollars of your money that you gave to him in good faith - this is just a small sampling of what the treasurer of Stan Telchin Ministries discovered when he audited the ministry books while Stan was on his two week honeymoon in Europe (click here to see the treasurer's report):

1.   $2,175.00 of your donations was spent on April 16, 1999 so he could have new and very expensive tile flooring installed in his home office and the entry way to his home at 5508 Vinci Circle in Sarasota, Florida (click here to see the Stan Telchin Ministries financial ledger that documents this transaction).  I saw this tile and was it beautiful!  Unfortunately, your donations did not get much use as shortly after spending your money on this flooring, he would sell the house. The tile flooring you paid for stayed behind and is now being enjoyed by the new owners.

2.   $126.00 of your donations was paid to Roto Rooter on September 16, 2000, to have his home toilets unplugged (click here).  I was there when Roto Rooter came to the house and unplugged the toilets.  I did not know at the time that your donations were being used to pay for it.

3.   $7,500.00 of your donations he used to write himself a check for a housing allowance on September 7, 2000 (click here).  My father has talked for years and years about what an incredibly successful businessman he was. I have never understood why he needed to use your donations for a housing allowance and I just don't see how taking $7,500.00 of your money for his personal housing served to further ministry work.

4.   $4,300.00 of your donations was paid so he could have a beautiful custom built desk built and installed in his home office on August 27, 1999.  He did this with no oversight or authorization (click here).  $4,300.00 for a desk? Office Depot has complete and very beautiful office suites for less than $1,000.00.  Just think how many missionaries on the foreign field could have been supported for a year with the $4,300.00 of your donations he used for a new desk - and custom built at that!

5.   Many hundreds of dollars of your donations he used to write multiple checks to pay for his personal counseling at the Charis Center.  In this record (click here), you can see where he wrote two different checks to pay for two different sessions on April 10-11, 2000. There were multiple other sessions that were paid for using your donations.  The fact he was in personal counseling (at my mother's urging because there was so much conflict in their home) and using your donations to pay for it might well explain why he never had audits done and annual reports issued to you.  He well knew that you would not like the fact you were paying for his personal counseling. Stan Telchin Ministries, it appears, was used by Stan not only to finance his lifestyle but also as a private health insurance company. In one eleven month period of time, beginning January 6, 2000, he issued 77 checks totalling $10,211.29 of donor money to pay for personal health costs. This is an outrageous abuse of donor funds and donor trust.

6.   $45.00 of your donations were paid out on May 31, 2000, so he could have a ceiling fan installed in his home office (click here).  He frequently would complain about how hot his home office got. I remember the fan being installed but like the Roto Rooter bill being paid with your money, I did not know your money was being used to pay for the fan too.

7.  He decided to lease a new car so on November 8, 2000, he wrote himself a check for $421.07 to reimburse himself for a portion of the lease. He used your donations to do it (click here). My understanding is that his wife Elaine wanted the new Lexus but could not get the financing so my father got it for her and then used your money to help pay for it.

8.  He used hundreds of dollars of your donations to pay for his home cable television including HBO (click here).  This might be another reason why he had no audits done or annual reports issued; he knew you would not approve of him using your money to pay for him to watch HBO in his home.

9.  He used hundreds and hundreds of dollars of your donations to pay for his home telephone bill (click here).  The ministry had its own dedicated telephone number but he decided to use your donations to pay for his home phone too.

10.  $347.50 of your donations was used to pay for his grandson's private school tuition, (click here).  He lists it as 'benevolence' but that is lie as the treasurer and board member of Stan Telchin Ministries found the canceled check which clearly showed it was a tuition payment (click here).

11. On January 31, 2000, Stan used $404.00 of donor money to Stan Telchin Ministries for new glasses. (click here)

That is just a small sampling of how he used the donations to Stan Telchin Ministries.  If it disturbs you, I understand, as my husband and I donated many hundreds of dollars to his ministry too.  There is much more - so much more - that you can learn by reading the treasurer's comments (click here).

Stan will tell you now that there was nothing to it all and that law enforcement never did anything.  Jews for Jesus will tell you that too.  In the Fall of 2002 after he knew he was under an FBI investigation regarding his handling of donor money, Stan would actually send you a newsletter and tell you that was not the case (click here).  It WAS the case, as a criminal complaint had been filed against him months earlier with the Manatee County Sheriff's office and after their investigation of my father, they transferred the matter to the FBI. Stan will tell you (as will Jews for Jesus) that my husband went to the FBI.  That is a lie, as the Manatee County Sheriff's office took it to the FBI.  You can call Detective Bud Johnson at the Manatee County Sheriff's office and he will confirm this for you. Keep in mind that Jews for Jesus will vouch for Stan and deny that he did any wrong doing, but they will do so having never spoken to me or the former treasurer and board member of Stan Telchin Ministries who did the audit. Ultimately, the FBI transferred the matter to the IRS and Stan was called to an audit and Stan Telchin Ministries was shut down (click here). Stan now works for Jews for Jesus as one of their missionaries and continues to solicit donations so he can continue to do the work to "which God has called him".  Jews for Jesus helps him raise money by sending out fundraising letters on his behalf (click here).  Stan continues on and continues to lie about himself and our family (click here). It is important to support ministerial work but it is equally important to support those in ministry who will demonstrate how the donations are being spent and who will demonstrate clear accountability and transparency.  My father practices none of those qualities and that is too bad because ultimately, the donations that were given to Stan Telchin Ministries were not given to Stan Telchin. Those donations were given by God's people for God's work.