BANGOR, Maine — A Rockland church has filed a complaint in federal court to prevent a woman from writing off a loan it claims she obtained under false pretenses.
Christ’s Lighthouse Ministries Inc. filed the complaint Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, claiming that Terri Ingraham fraudulently obtained a $1,335 loan in June.
The lawsuit alleges that Ingraham approached the church, saying she needed $3,400 to pay an electric bill to restore her electricity. The church’s president told the woman that the church would not be able to assist her with such a large amount. She later asked for a lesser amount to pay for a bankruptcy filing.
The church ultimately guaranteed a loan for her provided by a third party while including a requirement that she repay the loan in spite of the bankruptcy filing. The loan also contained a provision that the loan would be in default if there was any false or misleading information provided to get the loan. The check was given to her attorney for the bankruptcy filing. The woman’s spouse made one payment on the loan of $200 on June 18.
Soon after, the church became aware that Ingraham had been arrested and charged on June 18 with taking a $200 check given to her by the Peoples United Methodist Church in Union to help her pay an electric bill and altering it so that she could purchase cigarettes and beverages at a local convenience store and keep the remaining money as cash.
The Rockland church said it requested return of its loan funds after it became aware of the criminal charge, which church officials said showed a lack of honesty and thereby violated their agreement. The woman did not respond and included the loan amount in her bankruptcy filing.
Ingraham, 36, pleaded guilty on July 30 to theft in connection with the Union church check case. Sentencing has been continued but the plea agreement calls for her to be sentenced to two years in jail with all but 60 days suspended, followed by two years probation.
Ingraham had two prior theft convictions — one in 2011 and one in 2012.
The Rev. Leland Philbrick of Christ Lighthouse Ministries, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the church, also filed a motion seeking to have the court waive the filing fee. In the motion, Philbrick explained that the church did not have the money for the fee and that any money it spent on that would be less funds available to provide assistance to people in need.
On Tuesday, Chief Maine U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Louis Kornreich rejected the Rockland church’s request to waive the filing fee. The judge also ordered the church to have an attorney file the paperwork, a requirement for all corporations. The church has two weeks to meet that requirement or its complaint will be dismissed.