Tag Archives: Kent Covington

Update: Covington seeking plea deal- McKinny seeks continuance

Updated 10/22/2018 12:25AM-
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Charles McKeller, attorney for Diane McKinny filed a motion October 19th for continuance stating he had 125,000 pages of discovery to review and 30 hours of video. In his Motion, he “has been informed by the US Attorney that more discovery is forthcoming.” The motion leaves the scheduling of the court date up to the Court. A ruling is expected some time before November 7th.
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Documents filed in court October 19th reveal the M. Kent Covington has under counsel been in negotiations with Federal prosecutors to obtain a plea deal. The deadline for the plea deal normally would have been October 19th. The Judge agreed to extend the deadline for the working out the details until October 26th.

Assistant United States District Attorney Daniel Bradley did not oppose the motion.

From the document:

2. Defendant and the Government have agreed in principle, and are currently finalizing plea documents.

3. Defendant anticipates that plea documents will be signed and filed within the week, time being 26 October 2018.

The news is exciting. There are expectations for additional indictments in the next few months. Exact details of the plea deal(s) coming are not known. Along with others, I wait for news and details coming hopefully this week.

This may be the shortest post on this blog. This may also be the most encouraging for ex-members and those who have family still trapped inside the vortex of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF).

What does this last quarter of 2018 hold?

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Continue reading Update: Covington seeking plea deal- McKinny seeks continuance

Chad Cooper Files Complaint against WOFF and named leadership for Alienation of Affection

A “Complaint and Petition for Relief for Alienation of Affection” was filed May 15, 2018 in Rutherford County District Court, by Chad W. Cooper. This Complaint outlines various claims against the defendants: Jayne Caulder, David Caulder, Jane Whaley and Sam Whaley, Brooke and Kent Covington, Amy Mattos and the Word of Faith Fellowship (Inc.) (WOFF). The claims include accusations against the defendants that they “willfully, actively, wrongfully and intentionally interfered with the marital relationship” of Chad Cooper and Lauren (Caulder) Cooper.

The file number is -18 CVD 579. All of the defendants having been served, the deadline for answering this Complaint has been moved to July 24th. There has also been a motion filed by Josh Farmer representing WOFF seeking to move the case to Superior Court in light of the requested sum total of “monetary relief in excess of $4,000,000.”

What is “alienation of affection?”
Continue reading Chad Cooper Files Complaint against WOFF and named leadership for Alienation of Affection

WOFF Minister-Kent Covington pleads not guilty to Federal charges

On the courthouse steps, Covington’s attorney answers questions…


(key points in the video- Attorney Cash explains the not guilty plea. He has NOT seen the evidence obtained by the US prosecutors and he cannot say if he will ask for a continuance past the September 4th court date until he sees the evidence)

This morning in the U.S. District courthouse in Asheville, Marion Kent Covington through his attorney plead not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud outlined in the Bill of Indictment read to him minutes earlier. Last week, his accused co-conspirator, Diane McKinny, plead not guilty to the same charges. Both cases are set for the September 4th docket. It is unclear at this time which case may be heard first. Judge Martin Reidinger is the scheduled to preside over that session.

Kent entered the courthouse at the earliest possible moment standing with the jurors at the door until it opened. Ramona Hall was Kent’s driver and escort for this hearing. She did the same last Monday for Diane McKinny. Brooke Covington was NOT present. My theory is she is seeking to avoid media exposure at all cost.
Continue reading WOFF Minister-Kent Covington pleads not guilty to Federal charges

Conundrums and Complications… (audio)

Diane McKinny pleads “not guilty” – given a $500,000 unsecured bond

Before the initial hearing started on Monday in front of Magistrate Judge Dennis Howell, the court atmosphere was relaxed and filled with conversations between McKinny’s defense attorney, Mack McKeller, and other court participants. Mr. McKeller was obviously known by all of the regular court staff. He gave the court reporter a hug in the friendliest way and received a warm welcome from the Magistrate once everyone was in their place to start the hearing.

The hearing started at 10:13AM. Magistrate Howell led by outlining the order of the proceedings: there would be an initial hearing, a detention hearing and an arraignment. He started by asking Diane several introductory questions meant to establish her ability to hear, read and understand the procedures as each step occurred. He read a list of her rights including not saying anything and a right to jury trial as well as others.

Soon, he was into the reading of the multi-page Indictment which served as a foundation for the other steps taken during this session.
Continue reading Conundrums and Complications… (audio)

This is not a parking ticket… (audio)

Kent Covington and Diane McKinny indicted on wire fraud conspiracy charges

On Thursday last week, I missed a call from a reporter. Not taking time to listen to the voice mail, a few minutes later, I called them back.

“Have you heard? There were more members indicted today. Kent Covington and Diane McKinny…
“I know them…”
It’s Marion Kent Covington – right? Yes, I replied. Wire fraud involving unemployment benefits…

My mind started racing and my phone started going off with message alerts. My email started filling up. A little later came a call from another reporter asking if I heard. Someone else called asking if for sure Diane McKinny was a WOFF member.

Thus began the next public unveiling of more details of the UI scheme first reported in September of 2017 by the Associated Press. In May of this year, the news was confirmed by the guilty plea of Dr. Jerry Gross and his son, Jason Gross. They plead guilty on May 25th to one count of wire fraud and are waiting for their sentencing. Each was assigned a $200,000 unsecured bond.

Jerry and Jason were charged through a Bill of Information and waived the indictment process- affirming the information presented by the Federal Attorney and pleading guilty without a trial.

Kent Covington and Diane McKinny face a different process. They are facing the indictment and will go through some additional steps. Yes, the recent press release reminds us all that Covington and McKinny are presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Continue reading This is not a parking ticket… (audio)

AP- Church stoked tithing with unemployment scam, ex-members say

The next article released early this morning (here) in the ongoing investigative series from the Associated Press into Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) reveals a level of conniving and deception which causes me to shake my head in amazement and disgust. This account from ex-members outlines a premeditated fraud of a government program meant to help people who meet with temporary unemployment is shocking and sickening.

The scheme to have church members report themselves as unemployed and yet still be employed by companies owned by church leaders took a level of agreement and orchestration from the top leader, Jane Whaley, down the chain of command and influence. She convinced many of her leadership into compromising known laws and ethical standards of business in order to support her lifestyle through the resulting tithes and offerings which were under her total control. The glaring motive of personal enrichment cannot be ignored nor will it surprise those who have spent time as members of WOFF.

From the article:

“When Randy Fields’ construction company faced potential ruin because of the cratering economy, he pleaded with his pastor at Word of Faith Fellowship church to reduce the amount of money he was required to tithe every week.

To his shock, Fields said church founder Jane Whaley proposed a divine plan that would allow him to continue tithing at least 10 percent of his income to the secretive evangelical church while helping his company survive: He would file fraudulent unemployment claims on behalf of his employees. She called it, he said, “God’s plan.”

Please, understand the dynamics here. Randy and his family had been a part of WOFF for over 20 years. He had seen the results for those who choose to refuse Jane’s rendering of “God’s plan.” He explains-

“The price of the refusal, Fields said, could be beatings administered by fellow church members and public shaming by Whaley. The church also might mandate that he be cut off from any contact with his family, he said.”

Allow me to stop here and express my gratitude from all of the ex-members mentioned in this article. It takes courage to expose things done while a member of WOFF which may have crossed the edge into possible illegal activities. Each person faced a fearful decision to obey or lose all. Additional fear of telling the hidden secrets of WOFF had to be conquered or acknowledged.

Randy, “”I’m not proud of what I did, but I have to make this right,”…
Continue reading AP- Church stoked tithing with unemployment scam, ex-members say