Joliet Church Ordered To Pay $300K To SEC

A Joliet church that is more than a century old is being ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to the federal government. The Securities and Exchange Commission is demanding that Messiah Lutheran Church pay 300-thousand dollars by November 15th. The payment is the result of a lawsuit the SEC filed against a business accused of defrauding numerous investors. Minooka man, Kenneth Courtright, founder of Today’s Growth Consultant Inc., has been convicted of wire fraud connected to a $75 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 500 investors.

The SEC is recouping money the business paid others, including more than 780-thousand-dollars in donations to Messiah Lutheran. In the lobby of the church, a sign board recaps the civil lawsuit stating the church doesn’t have the money to pay back.

On the church’s website they’re asking for donations, “Messiah Lutheran Church needs to pay a judgement despite no accusation of wrongdoing.  Not paying it will likely result in the forced sale of its building.”

“Illinois law does not protect the clawback of donations from nonprofits.” To donate click here.