Christopher Burns, a former youth pastor at Perimeter Church in Georgia who later became a financial advisor, spent the church money on a lavish lifestyle and a Disney World addiction. Due to scamming scores of clients that amounts to millions of dollars, he is now part of the FBI's Most Wanted List.
According to a recent statement from the Department of Justice, Burns disappeared the day before he was supposed to turn over paperwork pertaining to his enterprises to the Securities and Exchange Commission. He was last seen by his ex-wife and children on September 24, 2020.
Philip Burns, son of the former pastor, said that he was talking to his father about his upcoming job a day before he disappeared. But during the conversation, his father became emotional.
“He said, ‘Just remember that I love you always,’” Philip told The Daily Beast. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, duh.’”
The next day, Philip saw her mom kneeling the garage in shock when she found out Christopher is gone. The family haven't seen Christopher ever since.
Burns and his fraud scheme
Keri Farley, the special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said that Burns is accused of illegally stealing millions of dollars from clients in an investment fraud scheme. Farley emphasized that financial crimes of this nature can have a significant impact on the lives of those affected and the FBI is dedicated to holding such criminals accountable. The FBI is currently asking for the public's assistance in locating Burns. Farley said that FBI will "continue to pursue him no matter how long he tries to evade the law."
James E. Dorsey, the special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation at its Atlanta Field Office, commented that Ponzi schemes, such as the one carried out by Burns, cause emotional and financial harm to victims. Dorsey stated that the IRS Criminal Investigation, along with its federal law enforcement partners, are committed to removing dishonest financial advisors from the financial system and ensuring they are brought to justice.
In the most recent case brought against him, Burns is accused of defrauding his victims out of at least $10 million by misrepresenting to investors that he could pool their funds to invest in charities and low-risk businesses that were protected by personal guarantees and collateral.
However, authorities claim that Burns, who was also a radio host in Georgia aiming to raise his profile, actually spent investors' money on a Ponzi scheme that funded an opulent lifestyle.
Burns' obsession with Disney World
Philip told the publication that when he was 10 years old, he visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida, with his family. However, he observed that the trips increased to at least twice a year in the years prior to his father's disappearance.
Rogue Rocket reports that the family went on numerous Disney-themed cruises and purchased a timeshare, according to the former youth pastor's ex-wife, who said he divorced her and transferred assets into her name in an effort to support her and their two sons.
Even more extravagantly, he spent almost $8,000 each day on VIP tours and outings for his neighbors.
Philip said that his father had a Disney obsession. He was an adult Disney. Philip and his mother say it's difficult to handle knowing that the trips were funded by stolen money.
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