CRESTLINE, CA – Terrance Owens Elliott, 60, a pastor from Crestline, California, also known as “Tony Elliott,” has been arrested and charged with 11 counts of wire fraud for allegedly defrauding friends and a non-profit organization out of more than $230,000. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the arrest on Thursday.
Elliott, who serves as a pastor at a church in San Bernardino and previously ran for the San Bernardino City Council, is accused of orchestrating multiple fraudulent schemes that exploited long-standing friendships and trust. According to the indictment, Elliott falsely claimed to have connections with the San Bernardino city government and the San Bernardino Police Department to gain the confidence of his victims.
One of his primary victims, identified as “M.C.” in court documents, was persuaded by Elliott to place her inheritance into a trust that he would manage. He falsely asserted that direct receipt of the inheritance would jeopardize her Medicare and Social Security benefits. Elliott then created a trust agreement, appointed himself co-trustee, and opened a bank account under the trust’s name, providing the bank with a falsified agreement that granted him sole control over the account.
Elliott allegedly misappropriated funds from the trust, transferring money to “Church A,” where he also used the funds to pay the church’s rent via postal money orders. Additionally, he allegedly used the stolen money for personal expenses, including the purchase of Nike sneakers, a piano, clothing, vehicle repairs, and a motorcycle warranty.
Further accusations detail Elliott’s unauthorized transfers of M.C.’s Social Security payments, totaling approximately $27,164, to Church A. When M.C.’s family inquired about the trust account, Elliott reportedly dismissed their concerns, claiming everything was “under control.”
Following M.C.’s death, Elliott allegedly targeted “W.H.”, another victim, convincing them to pay $8,615 for M.C.’s funeral, falsely claiming that a judge’s authorization was required to release funds from the trust. In total, he defrauded four victims, including M.C. and W.H., of at least $150,263.
In a separate scheme, Elliott advised W.H. on the sale of a home and subsequently convinced W.H.’s corporation to loan M.C.’s trust $65,000, falsely claiming it would avoid capital gains tax. He then used a signed blank check from the corporation to transfer money to Church A and spent the majority of the funds on personal expenses, failing to repay the loan.
Elliott also allegedly defrauded a non-profit associated with “Church B” by falsely claiming they owed money to W.H.’s corporation for litigation services. He received approximately $23,300 through 32 checks from the non-profit, which he deposited into an account he controlled.
Overall, Elliott is accused of defrauding his victims of approximately $238,563. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the 11 counts of wire fraud if convicted. The FBI is continuing its investigation and believes there may be additional victims. Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI at 310-477-6565 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
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