CENTENNIAL — The Rev. Acen Phillips is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Dec. 17, when a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence in Phillip’s insurance-fraud case to go to trial.
Phillips appeared briefly Tuesday morning in Arapahoe County District Court with his lawyer, Gary Lozow.
Last month, Lozow said Phillips didn’t have enough money to hire him. But on Tuesday, Lozow said he is representing the embattled pastor, who faces multiple theft and forgery counts.
Phillips faces accusations that he stole or attempted to steal more than $575,000 by making bogus life-insurance claims to AIG Life Insurance Co.
The Colorado attorney general’s office says Phillips forged the signatures of at least five people, some of whom had died, and then backdated the documents to make his church and charitable organizations the beneficiary of their lifeinsurance policies.
The alleged victims were members of Mount Gilead Baptist Church and New Birth Church. Phillips was pastor at both.
One theft and forgery charge involves Shelley Lowe. She was the girlfriend of Aaron Thompson, who has been indicted in the death of his 6-year-old daughter, Aaroné, who was reported missing in November 2005. Lowe died in 2006 from a heart attack.
After the court hearing, Phillips said he is thankful for all the support he has gotten.
“I just want to thank the community of faith and the people of Colorado for how they are responding, and I am grateful for that,” Phillips said.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
