San Diego, USA - A federal grand jury has indicted Morris Cerullo, who heads a worldwide evangelistic organization, on charges of income tax evasion.
The indictment says the president of Morris Cerullo World Evangelism misstated his income by $550,000 between 1998 and 2000. Each of the three counts of filing false tax returns carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
His defense attorney, Greg Vega, a former U.S. attorney in San Diego, said Cerullo looked forward to an opportunity to respond to the allegations in court.
Two former executives of the San Diego-based ministry have sued Cerullo saying they were fired after they complained about Cerullo's fundraising practices. Their lawyers said several employees reported possible criminal violations to the Internal Revenue Service.
Cerullo is known for his TV preaching and international evangelistic meetings.