HINESVILLE (GA)
WJCL 22 ABC News [Savannah, GA]
September 11, 2025
By Graham Cawthorn
The defendants are accused of manipulating church members, misusing funds, and enriching themselves at the expense of others.
A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia has indicted a pastor associated with the House of Prayer Christian Church of America on multiple sex offenses involving a minor.
On Wednesday, a federal court unsealed a five-count indictment against Bernadel Semexant, 35, of Hinesville and Savannah. The charges include enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, sexual abuse of a minor, transfer of obscene material to a minor, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
The charges carry significant penalties:
- Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity: 10 years to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
- Sexual Abuse of a Minor: Up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
- Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor: Up to 10 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release.
- Receipt of Child Pornography: Up to 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
- Possession of Child Pornography: Up to 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
Each count also requires registration as a sex offender and mandatory restitution.
Authorities believe Semexant may have worked at multiple HOPCC locations across the United States, including Hephzibah, Hinesville, and Savannah, Georgia; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Tacoma, Washington; Waco, Texas; and Clarksville, Tennessee.
Update 1:20 p.m.:
A seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom estate listed for $1.96 million was raided by the FBI Wednesday morning.
The mansion, located on Honors Way in the gated Martinez, Ga. community of Westlake, is tied to Rony Denis, according to divorce documents.
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment alleging Denis, the leader of the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America, stole someone’s identity in 1983 and used it to become an American citizen in 2002. That same year, Denis founded the religious organization.
In 2022, federal agents raided several of the church’s locations, including one in Hephzibah. Now, two years later, Denis and seven other leaders of the organization are named in an indictment accusing them of exploiting military personnel.
The indictment alleges the leaders recruited service members into the church, directed them to enroll in the church’s seminary, and then used their VA benefits to funnel money into accounts controlled by the church.
It also describes how church leaders maintained a list of “ex-traitors,” humiliated members for perceived rule violations, and restricted family members from contacting loved ones who left the church.
Additionally, the indictment accuses the eight leaders of committing bank fraud by using straw buyers to acquire homes, which they converted into rental properties. The scheme allegedly generated more than $5 million in rent over two years.
Initial report:
More than three years after a Hinesville church was raided by the FBI, eight people connected to the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America have been federally indicted.
The suspects face charges of fraud and tax violations.
The indictment, unsealed Wednesday, alleges that the group, led by a man using the stolen identity “Rony Denis,” engaged in schemes to defraud financial institutions, exploit military veterans’ education benefits and file false tax returns.
The defendants are accused of manipulating church members, misusing funds, and enriching themselves at the expense of others.
Federal agencies are now seeking out additional victims.
Who was indicted and what are the charges?
On Wednesday, a federal court unsealed a 26-count indictment against eight individuals tied to HOPCC. The charges include conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, and aiding in the filing of false tax returns. The accused are:
- Rony Denis (identity stolen in 1983): Hinesville, Ga., West Palm Beach, Fla., and Martinez, Ga.; Conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, and aiding in filing false tax returns.
- Anthony Oloans, 54; Hinesville, Ga.: Conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud.
- Joseph Fryar, 51; Hinesville, Ga.: Conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud.
- Dennis Nostrant, 55; Hinesville, Ga.: Conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud.
- Gerard Robertson, 57: Conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.
- David Reip, 52; Hinesville, Ga.: Conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud.
- Marcus Labat, 42; Hinesville, Ga.: Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
- Omar Garcia, 40; Palm Bay, Fla.: Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
The penalties for these crimes range from 3 to 30 years in prison, along with significant fines and supervised release.
How did the alleged schemes work?
Bank fraud scheme:
The indictment accuses Denis and his associates of orchestrating a conspiracy to defraud financial institutions.
Starting in 2004, they allegedly recruited church members as “straw buyers” in real estate transactions, falsified loan documents, and used forged powers of attorney.
The properties were converted into rental homes, generating over $5.2 million in income between 2018 and 2020. The funds were used to pay mortgages, cover personal expenses, and enrich the conspirators, leaving some straw buyers with damaged credit and foreclosures.
Veterans Affairs education benefits fraud:
From 2011 to 2022, the defendants allegedly defrauded the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of millions in education benefits.
They obtained a religious exemption to operate seminaries in Georgia, which prohibited federal funding. Despite this, they accepted over $26.5 million in VA benefits for their seminaries, including $3 million for Georgia locations.
The funds were funneled into church-controlled accounts, often exhausting veterans’ benefits without them completing their programs.
Filing false tax returns:
Denis is also accused of filing false income tax returns for 2018, 2019, and 2020, underreporting his income to evade taxes.
How were church members allegedly exploited?
The indictment describes a pattern of manipulation and control over church members:
- Members were pressured to provide personal information, enter arranged marriages, and live in properties tied to the defendants.
- Military personnel were recruited into the church, directed to enroll in the seminary, and had their VA benefits funneled into church accounts.
- Leaders disguised payouts to themselves as “love offerings” or “expense reimbursements.”
- Members who left the church were labeled as “traitors,” humiliated, and restricted from contacting family members.
What are federal agencies saying?
Federal officials have condemned the alleged actions, emphasizing the betrayal of trust and exploitation of military veterans:
- U.S. Attorney Meg Heap: “This indictment alleges a scheme in which individuals betrayed the trust of church members for self-enrichment.”
- FBI Special Agent Paul Brown: “Using coercion, manipulation, and fraud under the guise of religion will not shield wrongdoers from accountability.”
- VA Inspector General David Spilker: “Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds remains a priority.”
- IRS Special Agent Demetrius Hardeman: “The defendants are accused of fraudulently receiving VA education benefits and committing other financial crimes.”
What should victims do?
The FBI is seeking additional victims whose personal information may have been misused by HOPCC. Victims or their families are encouraged to complete an online questionnaire at fbi.gov/HOPCCVictims.