Email
Print
Love Valley pastor faces fraud charges
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: December 4, 2008
The pastor of a Love Valley area church faces 13 charges after authorities said he conned a church member into giving him money for real estate and a vehicle.
Jeffrey Lynn Lambert, 46, of Statesville is listed as the pastor of the Crossroads Gospel Church near Love Valley.
Lt. Stanley Watkins of the Iredell County Sheriff's Office charged Lam-bert with 12 counts of ob-taining property by false pretense and one count of felony conversion by bailee on Tuesday. His bond was set at $15,000.
Watkins said the case began when Edward Strelko, a disabled Vietnam veteran, filed a report with Detective Sgt. Allen Sipes of the fraud unit.
Strelko told Sipes he met Lambert at the church after Streklo began attending services there.
After several weeks, Strelko said, Lambert offered to sell him some property off N.C. Highway 115 after learning he was looking for property in that area.
Lambert, Strelko said, told him the property belonged to a family member and it could be purchased cheaply. He then told Streklo it needed to be surveyed and asked him to pay for those services, Sheriff Phil Redmond said.
Strelko said he was shown the property and noticed a real estate sign.
He questioned Lambert about the sign and Lambert said the Realtor wasn't able to sell the property, authorities said.
Sipes said Strelko was told by Lambert that a lawyer was needed, and he told him about a lawyer named Mary Snead.
Strelko gave Lambert money for the attorney. After not hearing anything, Strelko asked Lambert about the surveying and Lambert told him he fired two surveyors for not completing the work and a third was bitten by a copperhead snake while working, Sipes said.
On another occasion, knowing Strelko had an affinity for older cars, Lambert told him Snead was closing an estate for a client and he could purchase a 1966 Chevrolet Corvette, Sipes said.
Then Strelko said he received a call from someone saying she was Mary Snead. Eventually, they agreed on a price for the car, and the woman claiming to be Snead told Strelko to pay Lambert, who would in turn pay her, authorities said.
Sipes said Lambert then offered to get Strelko a mobile home for free, but he needed to pay to get the axles moved and for Snead to research the deed.
Strelko gave Lambert money for these transactions, and after several months of getting nothing but excuses from Lambert, Strelko went to the sheriff's office, Sipes said.
Redmond said the investigation revealed the land didn't belong to Lambert or anyone associated with him. Investigators could not locate the attorney either.
During this investigation, Redmond said, Roanne Fogle came forward and said she had a Toro riding mower she took to someone for repairs.
While the mower was at the repair shop, she decided to sell it and the repair shop owner took it to Lambert to sell.
Within a week, Redmond said, Lambert contacted Fogle and told her he wanted to purchase the mower himself.
He promised to pay by the end of July, and by September, had not paid her, Watkins said.
After a few more promises to pay, Fogle obtained civil paperwork, and Lambert was ordered to appear in civil court. Watkins said he did not appear and a judgment was issued against him in favor of Fogle, and she was told to report it to the sheriff's office as well.
As a result, Watkins obtained the warrants on Lambert, who was arrested Tuesday.
Lambert recently completed a probationary sentence for a forgery charge in Catawba County, according to N.C. Department of Corrections records.
Watkins said anyone who may have been victimized by Lambert can contact him at (704) 928-4685.
Email
Print
