A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia has indicted eight individuals associated with the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America (HOPCC) on charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, and aiding and assisting in filing a false tax return. The indictment was unsealed on September 10, 2025.
Those charged are: FNU LNU (also known as Rony Denis), Anthony Oloans, Joseph Fryar, Dennis Nostrant, Gerard Robertson, David Reip, Marcus Labat, and Omar Garcia. The group is accused of orchestrating schemes that targeted church members and military veterans for financial gain.
The indictment alleges that Rony Denis assumed a stolen identity in 1983 to become a U.S. citizen in 2002 before establishing HOPCC and its affiliate seminary. According to prosecutors, Denis and his associates used their positions within the church to control congregants’ lives and finances. Members were reportedly pressured into sharing personal information, entering arranged marriages or divorces, and living in properties managed by church leaders for rental income.
The defendants are also accused of recruiting military personnel into the church and directing them to enroll at House of Prayer Bible Seminary (HOPBS), then channeling Veterans Administration education benefits into accounts controlled by church leadership. Payments were allegedly disguised as reimbursements or offerings while being used for personal expenses such as credit card bills.
According to the indictment, “members were manipulated into turning over personal information, pressured into marriages and divorces arranged by church leaders, and forced to live in properties tied to the defendants that generated rental income.” The document also details how leaders kept lists of former members labeled as “ex-HOPCC traitors,” restricted contact with family members who left the organization, and publicly humiliated those perceived as violating rules.
Authorities say a long-running bank fraud scheme began in 2004 involving straw buyers recruited from within HOPCC. These individuals' names were used on real estate transactions while actual ownership remained concealed. Defendants allegedly falsified loan documents using forged powers of attorney and limited liability corporations before converting properties into rentals that produced more than $5.2 million between 2018 and 2020.
In addition to property-related frauds, the indictment accuses several defendants—Denis among them—of defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) out of millions intended for veterans’ education benefits by misrepresenting eligibility for religious exemptions under state law while continuing to accept federal funds. From 2013 through 2021, HOPBS officers submitted false certifications claiming not to receive federal money despite annual VA payments totaling over $23 million across five locations.
Rony Denis faces additional charges related to filing false tax returns from 2018 through 2020 by underreporting his income during those years.
Federal agencies involved in investigating this case include the FBI; Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General; Internal Revenue Service; Federal Housing Finance Authority; Department of Army Criminal Investigative Division; United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Victims whose personally identifiable information may have been misused are encouraged to complete an online questionnaire at fbi.gov/HOPCCVictims.
“This indictment alleges a scheme in which individuals betrayed the trust of church members for self-enrichment at the members’ expense,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We commend the work of our law enforcement partners in unraveling this fraudulent operation.”
“The defendants are accused of exploiting trust, faith, and even the service of our nation’s military members to enrich themselves,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This indictment makes clear that using coercion, manipulation, and fraud under the guise of religion will not shield wrongdoers from accountability.”
“Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds reserved for deserving veterans remains a priority and our investigators are working diligently in the field to ensure these programs are not exploited for financial gain and greed,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “These indictments are a clear warning that the VA OIG, alongside our partners, will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to defraud these vital VA benefits.”
“The defendants are accused of fraudulently receiving VA education benefits intended for those who honorably served in our country’s armed forces, along with committing other financial crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are diligently investigating those who commit financial fraud on the U.S. government and law-abiding taxpayers.”
“Those who abuse the housing finance system for fraud will be held accountable,” said Edwin S. Bonano, Special Agent in Charge at the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). “FHFA-OIG is proud to stand with our law enforcement partners to protect victims and safeguard the integrity of the housing finance system.”
“Today’s coordinated arrests of individuals connected to the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America and House of Prayer Bible Seminary effectively disrupts a calculated scheme to defraud our military service members and veterans of their hard-earned VA benefits,” said Special Agent in Charge Ryan O’Connor of the Department Of Army Criminal Investigative Division’s Southern Field Office. “This investigation underscores CID’s unwavering commitment to protecting those who have served, and we will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to exploit their trust and sacrifice.”
“USCIS will hold those that perpetrate immigration fraud accountable, and we will support any DOJ efforts to denaturalize this criminal who used a stolen identity to fraudulently obtain U.S citizenship,” said Sarah Posvar Associate Portfolio Director with USCIS' Fraud Detection And National Security Directorate.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Patricia G. Rhodes and George J.C Jacobs III are prosecuting this case.
All charges outlined remain allegations until proven otherwise; all defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond reasonable doubt.