Manhunt on for Missionary Who Raised $33M for Bibles and Blew Much of it on Gambling

• $1 million of funds raised deposited into a since shuttered online sportsbook

• Funds were supposed to be used for Bible distribution in China and Southeast Asia

• Georgia man is said to have perpetrated the scheme from as early as April 2010 until July 2019

Federal authorities have launched an international manhunt for a Dublin, Georgia man who is accused of redirecting $30 million from Christian charities meant to be spent on Bible distribution in China, Thailand and Vietnam. 

A federal indictment alleges that 45-year-old Jason Gerald Shenk accepted over $33 million in donations from charities and individuals and used the funds for personal luxuries and gambling instead.

Shenk allegedly spent about $1 million on diamonds and precious metals, $7 million on his family farm, $320,000 on real estate in Chile, $4 million on 16 life insurance policies, $850,000 on shares of a private U.S. nuclear company, $820,000 on credit card payments.

$1 million was deposited onto an unnamed online sports betting site that has since been shut down due to fraudulent activity.

The indictment alleges Shenk perpetrated the scheme from as early as April 2010 until July 2019, and that Shenk renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2016 to avoid financial reporting requirements under federal law.

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Warrants have been issued for Shenk’s arrest.

“When people of faith donate money for evangelistic purposes, they reasonably expect those who solicit their donations to act as faithful stewards of those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This case alleges an egregious breach of that trust at the expense of multiple charities and individual donors.”

Those with information on Shenk are encouraged to contact federal authorities at 478-752-6810.

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com