Church Scammers in Holmes County Jail, facing felony charges

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Two men are behind bars in Holmes County accused of scamming area churches with elaborate lies.

Henry Green and Timothy Purifoy are facing felony charges of scheming to defraud churches.

At least ten churches in Florida and Alabama were hit by the scammers. Investigators say they made up stories to tug at the heartstrings of church-goers.

They told the churches they needed money for things like cancer treatments and transportation.

Some services were even interrupted by the men. But, after several churches realized they were hit by the same men, they got suspicious and called Law Enforcement.

Holmes County Sheriff, John Tate, said the suspects are not new to crime. They’ve been arrested more than 20 times each in the past.

Tate said the two acted with strategy, moving from one county to the next.

“Looks like they just set up in a place and once they kinda, worked that place, they move on to somewhere else,” Tate said. “And, I guess that’s why they come to Florida. They had hit all the churches in Alabama that they thought they could, so they come to Florida to start doin’ it.”

Investigators said both men were living in Geneva County, Alabama, at the time of the incidents.

Green and Purifoy are currently booked at the Holmes County jail.

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