A white-haired octogenarian who signed off with “See you in church on Sunday” and penned a book called “Jesus Christ, Money Master,” Gallagher paid for his airtime on three stations, using it to promote his services. He promised “retirement income you’ll never outlive” to those considering investing with him.
On Monday, state District Judge Elizabeth Beach sentenced him to three life prison terms after he pleaded guilty to criminal charges in Tarrant County. That punishment comes on the heels of a 25-year sentence he received after pleading guilty to similar charges in Dallas County.
Authorities say Gallagher’s scheme netted millions of dollars from victims who ranged in age from 62 to 91.
Lori Varnell, chief of the elder financial fraud team at the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, called him “one of the worst offenders I have seen.”
“He ruthlessly stole from his clients who trusted him for almost a decade,” she said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. “He amassed $32 million in loss to all of his clients and exploited many elder individuals. He worked his way around churches preying on people who believed he was a Christian.”
Gallagher, who has been behind bars since his 2019 arrest, filed a notice of appeal. The attorney representing him in the appeal process, J. Warren St. John,…
