Shifflett, wife face multiple tax fraud charges
Baptist pastor had prior convictions for cruelty and battery of children
Liz Mitchell
Staff Writer, Culpeper Star-Exponent, Virginia
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Charles Shifflett, the pastor of First Baptist Church of Culpeper, and his wife are facing 71 state charges of lying on their taxes, stealing and obtaining money by false pretenses.
In Culpeper County Circuit Court Monday, a grand jury indicted Shifflett, 55, and his wife, Janice P. Shifflett, 58.
“I have no comment whatsoever,” Janice Shifflett said when reached by phone at her home Monday evening.
The charges are a result of an investigation that began nearly a year ago by the Virginia Department of Taxation and the Virginia State Police.
“The indictments speak for themselves,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Gary Close, who declined further comment.
In December, Charles Shifflett was convicted of one felony for cruelty to children and six misdemeanors of assault and battery against children who attended his former church, Calvary Baptist, nearly 20 years ago. He was sentenced to 700 hours of community service.
He now faces a majority of the new charges, totaling 51 counts, including:
-Three felonies for making false statements in connection with workers’ compensation filings in February 2001, April 2005 and November 2005.
-Three felonies and one misdemeanor for making false statements on tax returns from 2003 to 2006.
-One felony for soliciting his wife to commit a felony by obtaining money through false pretenses in March 2002.
-Seven felonies for stealing from Calvary Baptist Church between January 2001 and November 2003.
-Thirty-six felonies for obtaining money through false pretenses from two workers’ compensation insurance companies and Calvary Baptist Church between January 2001 and March 2006.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dale Durrer said the insurance companies include Brotherhood Mutual Insurance based in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Church Mutual Insurance of Merrill, Wis.
In total, the charges are punishable by between 52 years and life in prison.
Janice Shifflett faces 20 charges, including:
-Three felonies and one misdemeanor for making false statements on tax returns from May 2003 to May 2006.
- Sixteen felonies for obtaining money by false pretenses from Calvary Baptist Church between March 2002 and December 2005.
Her charges are punishable between 19 years and life in prison.
Durrer did not release the amount of money reported to be stolen or falsely obtained.
Now that the grand jury has returned the indictments, the Shiffletts can be arrested on the charges and then return to Circuit Court for a hearing. They are scheduled to appear in court April 24.
Liz Mitchell can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 110 or emitchell@starexponent.com
The latest in a long saga
In December, Pastor Charles Shifflett pleaded guilty to one felony and six misdemeanors in connection with child abuse charges. Now he and his wife face 71 state charges related to tax fraud and falsely obtaining money from Calvary Baptist Church, where Charles Shifflett served as pastor.
See also:
Shifflett back in court, CulpeperTimes.com, 4/25/07
Shifflett out again, Culpeper Star Exponent, 2/18/06