(The following is the best I can make out from Mr. Miller's hand written Affidavit. Hard copies of everything upon request, for they are public documents.)
County of Summerset
State of Pennsylvania
I reside at Long Suffering Street, Box 64B Confluence PA 15424. My telephone number is 814 395 5986.
I (am) employed by Karen Miller Personal Care Home. I own this business with my wife Karen Miller located at RD #1 Box 88 Confluence PA 15424.
(1) I first learned about Greater Ministries from my Pastor at Confluence Church. I have attended Confluence Church for the past 5 1/2 years. The Pastor Merle Calkins and his wife Lisa (also a pastor) are personal friends of mine and have been so for 5 1/2 years. Merele [sic] and Lisa have been the pastors of Confluence Church for 12 years and Mount Zion for 2 1/2 years. I have enjoyed a very good personal relationship with the Calkins during this time of 5 1/2 years. In fact, I permitted the Calkins to live for free at my river front cabin for 2 years. (2) In late A96, Calkins (Merle) began to tell me about the blessings he was receiving from Greater Ministries. Merle would tell me about Greater Miniseries (Greater) gifting program and how he was blessed financially. Merle told me that whatsoever amount a person gave to Greater through the gifting program, this amount would double in 10 months. Merle told me that he had maxed out his credit cards and put all of that borrowed money into the Greater gifting program. Merle told me that it was worth borrowing from my credit cards at 18% since the gifting program's returns were 100%. I remember one time, before I ever invested in the gifting program I saw Merle at the post office in Confluence. Merle had a bunch of 100 dollar bills that he began waving in my presence. Merle told me that he had received the money through the gifting program. During this time Merle and Lisa along with their one son were living at my river front cabin for free. I felt that letting the Calkin's live for free at my home on the river was part of my titghting [sic] (donation to my church). Merle, during this time, never mentioned Greater from the pulpit or in church. (3) After hearing Merle talking about the blessings (money) he was receiving from Greater and after seeing the money Merle had received from Greater I called Jim List to share the program with me. At this time I knew Jim List to be a person who had addressed our congregation once or twice about church affairs. Merle told me to talk with Jim List to get involved in Greater. I called Jim List and we set up a meeting at my house. This first meeting, in late 1996, took place at my home. There were at least 10 people at the first meeting, including my mother, and Merle. I member Jim List (List) told me to invite christians to this meeting at my home. I invited friends as well as family. (4) List explained the gifting program at the meeting. He said that a person could double their money, in 10 months. List explained that a persons could re-gift their money and make more money. It was not long after that first meeting that I invested for the first time. List and Merle both had compared the Greater gifting program to the stock market and Bank investments. List and Merle both had told me that there was nothing that could compare to the gifting program in the way of a return. List had told me that he had maxed out his credit cards and had put everything he had into the gifting program. List said that he had taken the money he had borrowed on his credit cards and put it into the investment with Greater's gifting program. List told me that I would double my money in 10 months. (5) The first time I had met list was before I got involved in Greater. List was in Confluence with Merle and Merle brought him to my home. I had a piece of property that was partially developed, and had shown it to list. When I was ready to make my first investment in Greater I asked List if he thought it would be a good idea to sell the property and put (invest) the proceeds into Greater's gifting program. I remember List told me that this was alright [sic] and that I couldn't make a better investment. (6) I do not know much about investing and I have never invested in the stock market, bonds, mutual Funds or any other kind of security. As a self employed person I have always put my money into my businesses and properties. (7) I sold the property I was developing to make my first investment in Greater. I remember that I obtained (purchased) a money order for $10,000.00 and completed the Greater form and sent it to Tampa FL. (8) After my first investment I held 4 or 5 more meetings at my home, and meetings at other people's homes in Sumerset, PA. One meeting in Sumerset, PA was at a home occupied by Nadine Killeleffi (Nadine). Nadine had invited me to her home for this meeting. There were 6 to 8 people at Nadines. (9) During this time I was growing closer to List. I believed List to be a person who had a better understanding of financial matters than I had. List compared the Greater investment to the stock market and bank investment. List had represented himself to be familiar with precious metals. All of this impressed me and I began to take his advice. List continued to talk highly about the gift program. (10) I began to received [sic] statements showing that I was making $1,000 per month. I remember as I began to make more money by re-gifting I could not understand the statements I had received from Greater. I asked List once to explain the statements to me but he could not. List told me that he really did not understand the statements either but he told me that the program was really working. List would always tell me that the Lord ensured that the gift program would work, and continue to work. List told me that the program would continue to work until the Lord returned. During the home meetings List would discuss that the Greater gift program was to also ensure that the Christians would have money when the government (U.S. Government) failed. (11) List had looked at my statements and told me I was making money. Because of the Greater statement showing I had made money and because I was told by list that the program was also a way for Christians to become debt free, I invested more money. I refinanced my home and other properties and received approximately $40,000 from the equity that I had on those properties in cash from the bank. I invested that $40,000 in the Greater gift program. I remember that when I invested the $40,000 I drove to Florida with List. I drove my own car and he rode with me to Florida (Tampa). List had money from other people but it is uncertain how much money List took to Florida. (12) When we got to Tampa List took me into the Greater office to meet with Gerald Payne, Don Hall and others. I bought gold coins while I was there in the amount of 350.00. I stayed in Florida for one day and drove home alone since List stayed for meetings. The reason that I made the investment in cash was to take advantage of Greater's closing date which is the 15th of each month. In order to receive the gift for the first month the money needed to be in by the 15th. (13) After my $40,000 I continued to invest new money (in the amount of approx $10,000 in cash) as well as reinvesting $73,000 (per the statement). I received money back from Greater and made improvements to my property with the understanding that I still had $73,000 in my Greater account. (14) I remember when I would receive money from Greater it would always come by priority U.S. mail. It would always be in cash. Early in the Summer of 1998 my Greater account statement showed I had $98,000 in my account. At this time I was due to receive a gift in the amount of $13,000. The regular due date for the gift came and went. More time went by. I still had not received my $13,000 gift which I was due. I called Greater on 15 separate occasions to find out about my gift. During one conversation with a Greater representative I was told that my money was already sent. Thee or four days latter I called again because I had not received my gift yet. I called and was told a box of mail had been misplaced and resent that day. Days latter I had still not received my gift. I told List about my experience and he gave me Payne's direct telephone number. When I called Payne I told him that I wanted to get all my money out (all $98,000) and start gifting all once again. Payne told me that he would have to check my file and he put me on hold. When he came back on the line he told me that he could send me $18,000 and then Greater would be done with me. Payne told me that if I wanted out all I could get was $18,000. At this time my account disclosed that I had $98,000 invested with Greater. Because I did not want to loose $80,000, I told Payne to leave things as they were. I realized at this time that I could not get my money out when ever I wanted. I was told before I ever invested that I could take my money out anytime I wanted. List told me this many times. I would never have invested if I had known that I could not get my money out when I wanted. At the same time I had begun to have doubts about the program. I had found out that both Merle and List had gotten kick backs from Greater. In fact, List had given me $500.00 in cash for directing people to this program. Because of this $500.00 I never told another person about the gift program because I believed that it was wrong to "kick back." (15) List went to Florida during the summer of 1998 and brought back $13,000 which I picked up in WV. (Marg. Note: This $13,000 was the gift due to me.) Currently my statements with Greater disclose that I have $74,000 in my account. (16) I have recently found myself with drawing [sic] from the church, List and Merle. (17) I was never told about the Cease and Disist [sic] Order issued by the PA Securities Commission against Greater. I just found out about this Order on 9/23/98. If I had known about this order I would never have invested in Greater. (18) I know of a number of people who have invested in Greater. (19) I invested in the Greater gift program because of the double the gift in 10 months part of the program and because I wanted to get debt free as was represented by List. I did not get debt free but rather I got further in debt.
Michael Miller
Subscribed and Sworn To Before me at
39L, Rd #3, Confluence, PA
This 25th day of September, 1998
James Klutinoty
Securities Investigator
Pennsylvania Securities Commission.
1. I reside at 406 Valleybrook Drive, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17601.
2. My family and I have paid money to participate in the Greater Ministries (Greater) "gift plan" and, as of March 1998, have paid money to Greater for seven separate accounts (seven accounts). In total, my family and I have paid approximately $261,500.00 into these seven accounts.
3. With respect to these seven accounts, Ruben Stoltzfus monitored them and charged a monthly fee of $60.00 for doing so.
4. On or about April 22. 1998.1 traveled to and visited the Greater office at 715 Bird Street, Tampa, Florida. During my visit, Ruben Stoltzfus threatened my life by saying, "I'll tell you right now to give the check back to the [Greater] Ministry. I wouldn't want to be you. Don't go out that door with that check or something bad is going to happen to you." At that same meeting, Gerald Payne also threatened me with a "curse, three times," if I did not give our funds to Greater.
5. As I calculate, my family and I have paid approximately $261,500.00 to Greater. Greater had represented that our money would double within 16 months. That promised amount should now equal $523,000.00.
6. As of January 1998, Greater failed to make a monthly payment to my family and 1 of $1,000.00 and failed to send us a statement reflecting a $550.00 purchase of gold in exchange for our opening a debit account through Greater.
7. Therefore, the total my family and I believe we have invested in Greater is $524,550.00, of which Greater paid out to us $129,265.00. We are still owed $395,285.00 by Greater with respect to our seven accounts.
8. After paying out $129,265.00 Greater placed a curse on my family.
9. I have communicated this information to Ruben Stoltzfus and Gerald Payne in writing.
10. I state the foregoing subject to the penalties of 18 Pa. C.S. §4904 relating to unsworn falsification to authorities.
June Smith
406 Valleybrook Drive
Lancaster, PA 17601
Dated: October 23,1998