HONEY LAKE FARMS ALLEGATIONS- PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED
1. Introduction
1.1 Overview of Allegations
A brief description of the fraudulent activities at Celebration Care Ministries, Inc. (CCM) and Honey Lake Farms (HLF).
Primary accused individuals: Kevin Cormier, Lisa Stewart, Laura Cormier, Tojy Thomas, Devon (Fullerton) Shandig, and others involved.
Timeline of fraudulent activities: October 2020 - October 2021.
Summary of probable misconduct: Unauthorized fund transfers, forged signatures, embezzlement, money laundering, and fraudulent record-keeping.
2. Parties Involved
2.1 Celebration Care Ministries (CCM)
Role of CCM: Nonprofit organization with significant financial operations, including donations, retreat programs, and mental health services.
Purpose: Outline CCM's role and activities to provide context for the financial operations.
2.2 Honey Lake Farms (HLF)
Role of HLF: Celebration Care Ministries (CCM) became Honey Lake Farms (HLF) – through a simple name change and articles filed with the state of FL- (same EIN) in February 2021 and is an independent non-profit 501 C3 organization. When it was CCM, it operated as an integrated auxiliary of Celebration Church for at least part of the year of 2020, before it shifted to a completely separate 501 C3. HLF was heavily dependent on partner and donation funding to operate it’s ministries.
Relationship to CCM: Same organization, had name changed to HLF in Feb 2021
2.3 Key Individuals Involved
Kevin Cormier: Main perpetrator of fraudulent activities. Controlled the NETCASH account and CCM accounts, misappropriated funds for personal gain, and manipulated financial records.
Lisa Stewart: CFO of CCM who opened the NETCASH account and deliberately excluded Charles Weems (CEO of CCM) from oversight, ensuring that Cormier could continue misusing funds.
Laura Cormier: Unauthorised signatory on checks, who signed checks for Kevin Cormier's entities even though she had no authorization to do so.
Tojy Thomas: former CFO of CC and HLF (through shared services) and now Kevin Cormier’s CFO for his construction and investment companies- was hired immediately by Cormier, after being exposed for hiding money and not being transparent by Mr Weems.
Devon (Fullerton) Shandig: Former CFO whose signature stamp continued to be used for fraudulent transactions, including forged signatures.
Charles Stovall Weems and Kerri Weems: President and CEO / director were kept in the dark and denied visibility into the CCM finances despite his position as the primary executive of both organizations.
3. Timeline of Fraudulent Activity
3.1 Early Fraudulent Activities (October 2020 - December 2020)
Creation of NETCASH account by Lisa Stewart to facilitate fraudulent transactions and hide the movement of funds.
Kevin Cormier’s unauthorized withdrawals from the CCM account into personal business accounts.
Forgery of signatures by Laura Cormier and Devon Shandig to authorize payments and checks to Cormier-controlled companies.
Supporting Records:
BBVA bank statements from October 2020 to December 2020 showing the NETCASH account and unauthorized transfers.
Checks with forged signatures from Devon (Fullerton) Shandig and Laura Cormier.
3.2 Continued Misuse of Funds (January 2021 - March 2021)
Transition of control to Lisa Stewart as CEO of Honey Lake Clinic (HLC), but she continued to influence CCM’s financial operations.
Continued fraudulent withdrawals and payments to Cormier-controlled businesses.
Charles Weems being excluded from critical financial decisions, despite his role as CEO of both organizations.
Supporting Records:
Internal emails showing exclusion of Charles Weems from financial decisions.
January - March 2021 transactions indicating unauthorized payments and transfers.
3.3 Fraudulent Activities Post-Account Transition (April 2021 - May 2021)
CCM’s account moved to First Citizens Bank (FCB) in March 2021, but fraudulent activity continued as Kevin Cormier gained unauthorized access to the BBVA accounts.
Lisa Stewart and Laura Cormier continued to sign checks and authorize transfers despite not being authorized signatories.
Supporting Records:
April - May 2021 BBVA statements showing fraudulent payments to Cormier-controlled entities.
4. Specific Allegations of Fraud
4.1 Unauthorized Fund Transfers
Kevin Cormier transferred significant sums from CCM accounts into his own business accounts.
Use of the NETCASH account to move funds without proper oversight or authorization from Charles Weems.
Supporting Records:
BBVA transactions showing transfers to HLF and personal accounts controlled by Kevin Cormier.
NETCASH account records showing movement of funds from CCM accounts to unauthorized entities.
4.2 Forged Signatures
Devon Shandig’s signature stamp was used on multiple checks post-October 2020.
Laura Cormier signed checks for Cormier-controlled companies, even though she was not an authorized signatory.
Supporting Records:
Checks bearing forged signatures by Devon Shandig and unauthorized signatures by Laura Cormier.
4.3 Money Laundering and Fraudulent Payments
Use of NETCASH as a pass-through account to launder money into personal business accounts.
Falsified vendor payments to cover up the true nature of the transactions.
Supporting Records:
NETCASH account activity showing funds transferred to businesses owned by Kevin Cormier.
5. Evidence and Supporting Documentation
Bank Statements from BBVA (October 2020 - October 2021): Showing large, unauthorized transfers, and payments made to Cormier-controlled entities.
Internal Communications (emails and memos) showing the exclusion of Charles Weems from financial oversight and knowledge of fraudulent activity.
Checks with forged and unauthorized signatures, particularly from Laura Cormier and Devon Shandig, authorizing fraudulent payments.
NETCASH account records showing the movement of funds from CCM to HLF and Kevin Cormier’s personal accounts.
6. Conclusion
Based on the evidence presented, it is clear that Kevin Cormier, Lisa Stewart, and Laura Cormier engaged in a systematic effort to misappropriate funds from Celebration Care Ministries (CCM) and Honey Lake Farms (HLF) for personal gain. Through fraudulent means, including forged signatures, unauthorized transfers, and money laundering via NETCASH, these individuals enriched themselves at the expense of the organizations. Despite the formal structure of both organizations, the lack of oversight allowed this scheme to continue for an extended period.
These actions constitute clear violations of fiduciary duty, fraud, and other financial crimes that resulted in significant losses for CCM and HLF.
This narrative and supporting evidence will your attorney in forming the basis for the allegations of financial misconduct against the individuals named herein.