Alexandria Pastor Sentenced For Fraud Targeting Church Members

ALEXANDRIA, VA—A former Alexandria pastor was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison for a fraud scheme that used church members as victims. Terry Wayne Millender, 54, was the pastor of Victorious Life Church in Alexandria.

According to testimony and court documents, Millender posed as CEO of Micro-Enterprise Management Group (MEMG), a Virginia company, which alleged it helped poor people in developing countries get short-term loans for their businesses. He and others drew investors in with MEMG’s Christian mission to help the poor. They also promised investors guaranteed rates of return.

Instead, Millender used investors' money to trade on the foreign exchange currency market and made payments on a $1.75 million residence for him and his wife. He also purchased lavish furnishings for their home among other personal expenses. Millender concealed the true spending by falsely telling investors they would get their money back. He blamed the delays in repayments on the 2008 financial crisis and other things.

After MEMG failed, Millender created another entity called Kingdom Commodities Unlimited (KCU), which purportedly specialized in brokering Nigerian oil deals. Multiple people made loan agreements, totaling over $450,000. These agreements also promised investors high rates of return and short term loans. This money was spent on rent and golf trips, a birthday party and other personal expenses.

A victim of the MEMG scheme contacted the Virginia State Corporation Commission and other authorities, revealing the scheme. Millender was ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution.

"Millender preyed upon the religious beliefs and charitable desires of more than two dozen victims and has demonstrated little to no remorse for his actions," said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in a statement. "His rampant fraud scheme has exacted a heavy emotional, spiritual and financial toll on his victims, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crime."