Release Date: September 17, 2009

Contact:

Miles Weiss, Senior Deputy District Attorney

(805) 662-1724  

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that the Ventura County District Attorney's Office Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Unit filed a felony complaint against Alonzo Gene McCowan (DOB 7/5/60) and Kimberly Ann Oglesby McCowan (DOB 11/6/63), a married couple from Camarillo. The felony complaint charges Alonzo McCowan with two counts of theft from an elder (Penal Code section 368(d)) and two counts of money laundering (Penal Code section 186.10(a)). It is also alleged as to Alonzo McCowan that the crimes were committed in violation of the aggravated white collar crime enhancement (Penal Code section 186.11(a)(2)) in that the crimes were related felonies, a material element of which is fraud, and that the taking was more than $500,000.

Alonzo McCowan is also known as Dr. Lonnie G. McCowan, Jene Lonny McCowan, and Lonny Jene McCowan. He is the pastor of Solid Rock Christian Center in Ventura . Kimberly McCowan is charged in the same complaint with one count of grand theft and one count of money laundering. Enhancements for taking in excess of $150,000 are alleged as to both Alonzo McCowan and Kimberly McCowan.

The McCowans were arrested in Camarillo on September 17, 2009, in an operation conducted by the Ventura County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation. The crimes are alleged to have occurred during the period of October 2004 through June 2005, but were not discovered until January 2008. Shortly thereafter, a real estate fraud complaint was filed with the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, which resulted in a criminal investigation leading to these arrests.

Bail was set at $500,000 for Alonzo McCowan and $40,000 for Kimberly McCowan. If convicted, Alonzo McCowan faces a maximum of 15 years, 4 months in prison and $1,740,000 in fines plus actual restitution. Kimberly McCowan, if convicted, faces a maximum of 6 years, 4 months in prison and $250,000 in fines and actual restitution.