Orthodox Scam Artist
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Reports from two of our Antiochian brothers in West Virginia indicate that a con man who targets Orthodox churches is headed our way. Information is provided in the two following emails.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Nicholas Alford
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Sayidna THOMAS:
Fr. Seraphim from Holy Cross Monastery forwarded this information. This fellow, Allan Farha, was most recently in Jordanville, NY. He told them he was heading for West Virginia to visit the monastery and Orthodox Churches here. After he left, they realized that he was a bad egg. He has apparently been defrauding churches, particularly Orthodox and Catholic ones. Anyway, at your discretion, I will forward this to you since he is apparently heading toward our Diocese.
Your son in Christ,
Fr John Dixon
Scam suspect taps sympathy time and again
Churches, police label sob stories a con.
By DEREK KRAVITZ of the Tribune's staff
Published Thursday, April 10, 2008
Mourning son, ailing asthmatic, down-on-his-luck journalism student.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE AND PICTURE AVAILABLE HERE: http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Apr/20080410News001.asp
Alan Farha II told Columbia churchgoers he was all these things as part of a seemingly endless number of sob stories and pleas for money, police and church officials say.
"I need money to get to my dead father's funeral," he told pastors and parishioners. "I need medication for my asthma." "My car broke down, and I need a lift."
In reality, police say, the 32-year-old native of Dallas is a smooth-talking con artist who has repeatedly preyed on area churches and their unsuspecting parishioners in recent months. His suspected scams have caused a stir among Mid-Missouri churches, with pastors and officials from at least 10 churches in Boonville, Columbia and Jefferson City claiming they've been swindled out of thousands of dollars in church funds earmarked for needy causes. Dozens of churchgoers also have said they were conned.
Columbia police Capt. Zim Schwartze said investigators have asked prosecutors for a warrant for Farha's arrest on suspicion of stealing and trespassing.
The Rev. Thomas Saucier of St. Thomas More Newman Center said Farha started worshipping in the fall at the church near the University of Missouri campus. Then he started going to Sunday morning services and began hitting up parishioners for money.
"He was brazen," Saucier said. "Where most people would ask for a nickel, a quarter, a few dollars, he would ask for hundreds of dollars."
But Farha didn't appear to be a scam artist to most churchgoers, in part because he was clean-cut, neatly dressed and well-spoken. He blended into the campus community, often wearing glasses, talking on a cell phone and carrying a backpack, Saucier said.
"I hate to stereotype, but he wasn't your typical vagrant," Saucier said. "I was sort of thrown because he always had well-kept clothes. I thought to myself that he's got resources."
Farha, who called the Tribune last night after his father in Georgetown, Texas, was contacted, blamed many of his troubles on an alcohol addiction he said he's been battling for about five months.
"I'm in recovery right now," Farha said. "I've made some mistakes, but I'm very sincere. I'm very repentant. No man can judge another man's heart."
But even that claim from Farha is in doubt. Police say he ran the same scams yesterday afternoon at several downtown businesses, just hours before he said he was working through the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Farha admitted to "mistakes" but denied responsibility for any scams in Columbia. "What I did was based out of fear," he said. "I'm the most scared person in the world. I'm scared of being homeless. I'm scared of not having anything."
Public records show Farha crisscrossed the country before arriving about a year ago in Columbia. During the past eight years, driver's license and voting records indicate, Farha has lived in Dallas, Austin and Carrollton in Texas; Cleveland and Fairlawn in Ohio; and St. Paul, Minn.(and Jordanville, NY).
Despite the complaints, Farha has a short criminal history. He was arrested by Dallas police in April 1996 on suspicion of prostitution. He pleaded guilty, received a year's probation and paid a fine.
Farha was arrested by Columbia police in February on suspicion of violating a protective order granted to a woman who said Farha called and threatened suicide.
Through it all, Farha has stuck close to the Greek Orthodox and Catholic churches. His listed Minnesota address was St. George Greek Orthodox Church; an Austin address was a Salvation Army site; a Cleveland address was the Greek Orthodox St. Theodosius Cathedral.
"I've lived all over," said Farha, who added he came to Columbia because it was a "small town" with good resources for treating substance-abuse addictions.
The Rev. Jim Bryan, senior pastor at Missouri United Methodist Church, said Farha targeted people, using pastors' names as references. "He would say, '$100 really helps, and I'm thankful, but $150 would help me so much more,' " Bryan said.
The pastor also said he personally gave Farha money from the church's discretionary fund on two occasions. So when Bryan saw Farha yesterday sitting at Cherry Street Artisan downtown, he decided to set him straight. "I told him that he's not to approach my church members," he said.
Farha responded with another story, Bryan said. "He started giving me a story, an excuse about why things have been so difficult," Bryan said. "I told him that I just don't want to hear it."
Farha is described as a clean-shaven, dark-skinned white man with glasses and dark hair. He is about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and 215 pounds, police said. Anyone with information can contact Columbia police or CrimeStoppers at 875-8477 or online at 875tips.com.
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>From Fr. Olaf Scott at St. George Cathedral -
Thanks for the information, but it arrived five days too late. The picture
confirms that St. George Cathedral and St. John Greek Orthodox Church in
Charleston have encountered Allan.
Allan Farha II, or as he told us, George Farha, from Scottsdale, AZ, called
our cathedral on his cell phone, Saturday, Apr. 12, while making his way
east on an Amtrak train bound for DC. He got off in Charleston to attend
church. We sent a sub-deacon to pick him up at the train station.
He told us that he was making his way to DC, that he had been out of work
for six months, but had a six-week contract job waiting in Washington in
construction. Since Amtrak doesn't head east every day, he had to stay in
Charleston until this morning, Wednesday, Apr. 16, when he could catch the
next train.
A parishioner who owns a cheap motel put him up in one of his rooms for
three nights free of charge. "George" said that he had little money, needed
to keep track of his expenses and would be re-imbursed by the contract job
after submitting his travel records. He needed $300 to finish his journey.
Several of us gave him enough to cover that amount, myself included.
While waiting for the train this morning, one of our generous parishioners
was contacted by "George" one more time, saying that the hotel that he was
to stay in had changed to a more expensive one and that he needed another
$150. He didn't get it before taking off on the train eastbound.
Allan, "George," is very smooth. I actually thought that he was very naive
and told him that he a little planning in advance would have made his trip
easier. On Sunday night, he rode with me and Fr. Elias Scoulas to our last
pan-Orthodox vespers service at St. Nicholas in Beckley, WV. He worshipped
with us, ate at our lenten supper and returned to his hotel room. He asked
both Fr. Elias and me if there was any work that he could do at our parishes
to earn money. And, he attended at least one of our daily worship services
led by Fr. Andrew Damick.
Only God know where Allan or "George" is heading next. But, Brothers, click
on the newpaper article and take a good look at his face. He was clean
shaven when he was with us.
Fr. Olof
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