Scam defendant pleads guilty
By Marty Roney
Montgomery Advertiser

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Mark Steve Cooper: The alleged ring leader of the scam, pleaded guilty in February. Cooper, 44, of 6960 Airport Road, Mobile, was indicted on 96 counts of theft and fraud. He pleaded to 10 counts and was sentenced to 31 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $2.52 million.

April Sunday Cooper: Marl Steve Cooper's wife, also pleaded guilty in February. April Sunday Cooper, 27, 6960 Airport Road, Mobile, was indicted on one count of theft of property and pleaded guilty to that count. She was sentenced to 10 years prison.

Elaine Turner: 58, 4050 Rosehill Court in Millbrook, was indicted on 62 counts of fraud and theft of property. She pleaded guilty to two felony theft of property charges. She will be sentenced Sept. 11 in Autauga County Circuit Court.

Nancilu Davis Carpenter: 53, 3426 Idelwild Court of Montgomery, was indicted on nine counts of theft of property. She pleaded guilty to one felony theft of property charge. She will be sentenced Sept. 11 in Autauga County Circuit Court.

Donald Cayton: 54, 680 Chase Way Drive of Pike Road, was indicted on five counts of theft of property, five counts of sale of unregistered securities, five counts of operating as an unregistered securities agent and six counts of securities fraud. He pleaded guilty to one felony theft of property charge. He will be sentenced Sept. 11 in Autauga County Circuit Court.

Leonard Lee Miller: 63, 17301 U.S. 231 of Hope Hull, was indicted on one count of theft of property. He pleaded guilty to one felony theft of property charge. He will be sentenced Sept. 11 in Autauga County Circuit Court.

William Paul Till: 41, 1085 Old Prattville Road of Millbrook, was indicted on four counts of theft of property, five counts of sale of unregistered securities, five counts of operating as an unregistered securities agent and five counts of securities fraud. He pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor theft of property charge. He will be sentenced Sept. 11 in Autauga County Circuit Court.

Kelly Dean Vickers: 40, 3435 Richmond Road of Montgomery, was indicted on one count of theft of property. He pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of theft of property He will be sentenced Sept. 11 in Autauga County Circuit Court.

David Wayne Gordan: 36, 126 S. Springfield Drive of Millbrook, indicted on five counts of theft of property, five counts of sale of unregistered securities, five counts of operating as an unregistered securities agent and six counts of securities fraud. He will be tried Monday in Autauga County Circuit Court.

In a surprising move, Elaine Turner pleaded guilty Friday morning in Autauga County Circuit Court for her role in a series of scams that netted a long list of defendants more than $3.5 million.

The 58-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of property. Turner, of 4050 Rosehill Road in Millbrook, had been indicted on 62 theft- and fraud-related charges.

The case has become known as the Daystar case because the best-known victim of the scam was Daystar Assembly of God. The church and its members were defrauded of more than $1 million. The church since has dissolved, and its building has been foreclosed.

Turner faces a maximum of 40 years in prison, said District Attorney Randall Houston. Judge Ben Fuller will sentence her Sept. 11. She also was ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution, documents said.

"We weren't expecting a plea at all," said Assistant District Attorney Glenn Goggans. "We were in the middle of pre-trial proceedings Friday morning, discussing witness lists and other matters relating to the case. The next thing I know, her attorney wanted to discuss the possibility of a plea."

Ron Wise, Turner's attorney, could not be reached for comment.

The cases are being prosecuted by the Alabama Securities Commission and the DA's office. Turner was set to go to trial Monday, in what was expected to become the longest trial in Autauga County history. Fuller had set aside 14 trial days to hear the Turner case. Longtime courthouse observers say the longest trial in the county's history went five days.

Turner's plea leaves only one defendant to stand trial. David Wayne Gordan, 36, of Prattville was indicted on 11 theft and fraud charges in the investigation. His trial is scheduled next week in Prattville. Seven co-defendants previously had entered guilty pleas.

Jury selection in Gordan's trial is set to begin Monday. Courthouse records show that trial is expected to go two to three days.

In the Daystar part of the scam, the defendants sold bogus bonds to help finance a multimillion-dollar worship center in east Prattville. The center would have included a large sanctuary, a restaurant and a Olympic-sized swimming pool. Other victims were conned out of money in fake real estate deals.

 

 

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