Narrative of the Scheme: Actions and details of Financial Fraud at Honey Lake Farms (HLF)
I. Introduction
This document outlines the allegations of financial misconduct involving the defrauding of Honey Lake Farms (HLF), (formerly Celebration Care Ministries ) which were part of a coordinated effort by key individuals to misappropriate funds for personal gain. These fraudulent activities, carried out primarily by Kevin Cormier and Lisa Stewart, included the use of forged signatures, unauthorized transfers, and deliberate misrepresentation of financial records. The narrative is based on evidence derived during the one year timeline where the most activity of the scheme was happening, from bank records, internal communications, and official documents collected between October 2020 and October 2021.
II. Establishment of Fraudulent Accounts and Initial Misconduct (October 2020 - December 2020)
In October 2020, Lisa Stewart, who was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of three strategically aligned non-profit organizations entities at the time, HLF, HLC, and Celebration Church. For clarification, in 2020 Honey Lake Farms was operating as a dba of Celebration Care Ministries until the official name change took place in Feb 2021. Lisa Stewart opened a new NETCASH account under her control, which was designed to facilitate the movement of funds between CCM, Honey Lake Farms, and Kevin Cormier-controlled entities. This NETCASH account was set up in a manner that deliberately excluded Charles Weems, the CEO of CCM, from overseeing its activities, despite him being the top executive. Stewart’s actions were meant to conceal the fraudulent transfers and to bypass Weems's oversight.
Supporting Record:
BBVA Statements from October 2020 show the creation of the NETCASH account and large transfers out of CCM’s account to NETCASH. These transfers were made without proper oversight, signaling the beginning of the fraudulent activities.
Fraudulent Transfers:
Using the NETCASH account, Kevin Cormier diverted funds from CCM and HLF to his own personal business accounts and entities under his control, such as Honey Lake Resort and other family-run businesses. These transfers were concealed under a complex web of transactions and fake vendors.
Supporting Record:
October 2020 – December 2020 transaction records show Kevin Cormier’s personal business names receiving payments from CCM accounts that were not supported by any legitimate vendor activity. These transfers were routed through the NETCASH account, demonstrating an early stage of money laundering.
Forgery and Unauthorized Signatures:
During this time, Devon (Fullerton) Shandig, the former CFO, was no longer involved in daily operations but her signature stamp was still used to authorize multiple fraudulent transactions. Additionally, Laura Cormier (Kevin’s wife), despite not being an authorized signatory on the account, was caught illegally signing checks and authorizing payments to Kevin’s personal companies.
Supporting Record:
Checks with Devon Shandig’s signature stamp and Laura Cormier’s unauthorized signature on checks to Kevin Cormier-controlled entities (e.g., Odom's Lawn Care, Honey Lake Resort, etc.). These checks were signed without proper authority, constituting fraud even if the payments had been legitimate.
III. Transition Period and Continued Fraudulent Activity (January 2021 - March 2021)
In January 2021, Lisa Stewart transitioned to the role of CEO of Honey Lake Clinic (HLC), while still maintaining control over the financial operations at HLF. This transition allowed her to continue facilitating fraudulent transactions and hiding the diversion of funds. Despite this change, Kevin Cormier remained in control of the finances, continuing to move money through HLF BBVA accounts.
Supporting Record:
Email correspondence from January 2021 between Lisa Stewart, Charles Weems, Tojy Thomas (new CFO of CCM), and Wayland Wiseman (COO), shows Charles Weems being deliberately excluded from financial decision-making and transparency, particularly regarding the movement of funds.
Kevin Cormier’s Continued Misuse of Funds:
During this period, Kevin Cormier continued to draw funds from the CCM account for personal enrichment. His unauthorized access to the account persisted even after Charles Weems directed the closure of the BBVA account in March 2021 and its supposed transition to First Citizens Bank (FCB).
Supporting Record:
March 2021 BBVA statements show continued unauthorized transfers from HLF’s accounts into HLF and Kevin’s personal business accounts, despite the supposed closure of the account.
Transactions to unverified vendors and payments to Kevin’s businesses continued, suggesting deliberate manipulation and avoidance of account oversight.
IV. Fraudulent Financial Activity and Cover-Up (April 2021 - May 2021)
Despite the move to First Citizens Bank (FCB) in March 2021, the fraudulent activity continued through April and May 2021. Kevin Cormier exploited weak internal controls to access CCM’s BBVA accounts, continuing to divert funds. Additionally, Laura Cormier and Lisa Stewart continued to sign checks illegally for Kevin’s entities.
Supporting Record:
April and May 2021 BBVA transaction records show unauthorized withdrawals, including checks made out to Cormier-controlled entities and individuals. Laura Cormier’s signature appears on several checks, even though she was not authorized to sign them.
Money Laundering via NETCASH:
Kevin Cormier and/or Lisa Stewart used the NETCASH account to launder money, transferring funds from an undisclosed treasury management account into HLF accounts, and then transferred out to multiple companies owned by Kevin and Laura Cormier in a fraudulent billing scheme.
Supporting Record:
NETCASH account transaction records from Dec 17 2020 through March 17 2021, in this 90 day period over $1M dollars was transferred into the HLF and then paid out in the fraudulent billing scheme, They payouts were not authorized, there was no approval of the projects, no contracts, no agreements, no authorization given to pay, no receipts or details of work. Mr Weems signature stamp was used without any authorization, and he eventually had to move bank accounts to keep reserves from being illegally pillaged.
The Central Theme and Critical Truth:
Kevin and Laura Cormier, along with Lisa Stewart, Tojy Thomas, and Devin Shandig, all had direct access to the Honey Lake Farms (HLF) bank accounts. They held the power to manipulate and exploit the financial systems of the organization.
In stark contrast, the one person who never had access to these accounts—the one individual who was systematically kept in the dark about the true account balances and activities—was the President and founder of these organizations, Mr. Weems.
Lisa Stewart orchestrated a calculated deception, fabricating a world of “financial snapshots” and fraudulent numbers to present to Mr. Weems. She showed him only what she wanted him to see, carefully concealing the truth while she and her co-conspirators stole millions of dollars from under his watch. This enabled bad actors like Kevin Cormier to take advantage of the “criminal environment” Lisa Stewart had created.
This deliberate withholding of information, paired with the fraudulent control of the organization’s finances, highlights the true depth of betrayal at the heart of the Honey Lake Farms tragedy. It was not just theft—it was a meticulously planned and executed conspiracy designed to exploit trust and dismantle the organization’s mission from within
V. Ongoing Fraud and Failure to Act (June 2021 - October 2021)
Despite the BBVA account supposedly being closed, fraudulent activity continued into June 2021. The lack of oversight allowed Kevin Cormier to maintain access to funds, and Charles Weems continued to be kept in the dark.
Supporting Record:
June and July 2021 BBVA statements show large transfers to Kevin Cormier and HLF, further demonstrating the ongoing fraudulent activity after the account was supposedly closed.
Failure of Tojy Thomas and Wayland Wiseman:
Despite knowing of Kevin Cormier’s unauthorized activities, Tojy Thomas and Wayland Wiseman failed to act to prevent further misuse of funds. Charles Weems was informed of the issue too late and was unable to stop the fraud.
Supporting Record:
Internal emails showing the knowledge of Tojy Thomas and Wayland Wiseman about Kevin Cormier’s actions but their failure to intervene. Charles’s limited access to critical financial records exacerbated the situation.
VI. Conclusion
The fraudulent activities at Honey Lake Farms, involving Kevin Cormier, Lisa Stewart, Laura Cormier, and Tojy Thomas represent a coordinated effort to misappropriate funds for personal gain through forged signatures, unauthorized transactions, and money laundering. Charles Weems, the CEO of both organizations, was kept in the dark and deliberately excluded from financial oversight by those involved in the scheme. The NETCASH account played a pivotal role in hiding fraudulent transfers, and the failure of internal controls allowed this fraud to persist until it was discovered in 2021.
This narrative will serve as the basis for the allegations of fraud and will be accompanied by the supporting records mentioned above. The fraud amounted to substantial losses for the organizations and resulted in the unlawful enrichment of those involved.