Every radio station has a story. Levi “The pope” Willis Sr was an influential pastor in the Hampton Roads Va area, civil rights leader, associate of Jesse Jackson, Democratic Party supporter, NAACP leader, chairman of the General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ, with 6 million members in 6000 congregations – and a convicted felon.
His daughter is believed to have embezzled up to $5 million in the 1990s. Bishop Willis paid $700,000 to settle a case for using copyrighted music without paying royalties. The IRS had to pursue him multiple times for unpaid taxes.
Which brings us to August 2008 – Bishop Willis is unable to manage his affairs and will die in 2009. A woman is dispatched to get a $400,000 cashiers check from the church’s bank account. Two weeks later, she returns to the bank claiming that the check has been lost, would they be so kind as to give her another? They do. The check is deposited back into the bank account, the original check is cancelled, then the money transferred to another church bank account and spent.
Following the death of Bishop Willis Sr, his son Levi Willis II tries to cash the “lost” $400,000 cashiers check, and files a lawsuit when the bank informs him the check was replaced. The judge gave Wells Fargo summary judgement and threw the case out.
Facebook updates to the two radio stations end in 2013 and the websites abandoned. Things seem Vewy Quiet. Maybe my brother who lives in Hampton Roads can turn on his car radio and see.