Con man claiming divine guidance gets 7 years in investment scam

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http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-preacher02.html

To convince potential clients they should invest money with him, James E. Upshaw sometimes prayed aloud and claimed he was getting financial advice directly from God.

But it was all a scam. A total of 144 people in the Chicago area and in eight other states were cheated out of $3.2 million between 2001 and 2004, according to the Illinois attorney general's office.

On Thursday, Upshaw was sentenced to 71/2 years in prison after pleading guilty in a Cook County courtroom to theft and securities fraud.

Upshaw, who has two previous theft convictions from the early 1990s, made presentations at Chicago area churches and elsewhere, preaching "his special brand of investment gospel," according to the attorney general's office.