Pastor And His Son Arrested Over Alleged $8.4 Million Fraud

A Florida pastor and his son have been taken into custody on December 14 for allegedly committing fraud to collect $8.4 million in COVID relief funds and spending the majority of it to buy a luxurious mansion on Disney World property.

According to NBC News, federal agents arrested Evan Edwards and his son Josh at their New Smyrna Beach home, who serves as the president and vice president, respectively, of the so-called ASLAN International Ministry.

The arrest comes after the Secret Service seized funds from the Edwards’ Paycheck Protection Program in April 2020 after the federal government suspected their family ministry was a fraud.

Josh submitted the loan application in April 2020 and stated, in accordance with a federal forfeiture complaint, that his family’s religious nonprofit ASLAN employed 486 people and had a $2.7 million monthly salary.

The indictment claims that ASLAN’s actual payroll costs and staff count were “significantly lower, or entirely nonexistent.”

The family ministry, which also hired Evan’s daughter Joy Edwards as secretary, requested $6 million, but instead, they were granted an incredible $8,417,261.38 the next month.

The Edwards then transferred the money to different bank accounts connected to family members after that, according to the feds.

Around $868,250 was transferred to a Royal Bank of Canada account in Evan Edward’s wife Mary Janes’ name before it was used to pay for a $3.7 million, 4,700-square-foot home on Orlando’s Symphony Grove Drive that is a part of Disney World’s Golden Oak development.

Their New Smyrna Beach home was visited by federal inspectors in September 2020 but was discovered empty.

According to a previous federal court filing, the following day, Florida police pulled up a car for speeding and discovered all four Edwards members inside with luggage and what appeared to be evidence of their schemes, although, they claimed that they were on their way to a conference in Texas.

Meanwhile, the Edwards have fully returned the $8.4 million in April 2021 as directed by a judge.

Six allegations, including conspiring to commit bank fraud and visa fraud, have been brought against Evan and Josh.