Credit: Inside the MagicA former pastor and proclaimed “Disney Dad” is now one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals in the United States, and it was his lavish trips to Disney World that gave him up.
Guests heading out to the Walt Disney World Resort, or any other Disney theme park for that matter, may expect to come back with a ton of merchandise, hundreds of photos, and memories that last a lifetime. But not for Chris Burns. No, the former pastor, family man, and Disney-loving dad would be left with the Federal Bureau of Investigation hot on his tail.
Christopher W. Burns, 40, of Berkley Lake, Georgia, is currently on the run from authorities. The Pennsylvanian-born American left his family home in September 2020 and was never seen again. His quick departure from his Georgia home came the day before he was expected to hand over documents pertaining to an ongoing civil investigation, according to Pilar Melendez at The Daily Beast.
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Burns had been tied up in multiple illegal, fraudulent schemes that eventually came back around after an investigation into his businesses was launched in August 2020. The crux of the activity goes like this:
Prosecutors allege that for years, Burns lived a double life, swindling approximately $10 million from dozens of investors in a years-long Ponzi scheme that spanned three states. Under the guise of a “peer-to-peer” lending program with high-interest promissory notes, Burns allegedly used the money to fund his lavish lifestyle—which included a boat and numerous trips to Disney World.
From promoting low-risk promissory notes, of which he sold a reported 70 to investors across Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina, to signing his own promise that he himself would repay 100% of any losses, Burns manufactured a lucrative empire that snatched cash from hard-working Americans to pay for his own lifestyle. The money was allegedly going to businesses that needed funding “with little to no risk.”
Well, that “no risk” became a nuclear bomb after his fraudulent activities caught the attention of the authorities. It would be the Securities and Exchange Commission that initially started to uncover the messy schemes before the FBI got involved, but Burns’ mysterious departure a month after notice of the investigation has left the latter stumped. Despite their resources, they are seeking public help in this Most Wanted fugitive case.
Following his vanishing, the case against Burns has been building with an arrest warrant for mail fraud, and appearing as a named individual in a class action lawsuit, indicting him on 10 charges in connection to his burgeoning Ponzi scheme.
With the case against the former pastor turned radio host and businessman building up, FBI veteran special agent Terry Rankorn told the outlet — “Once you’ve gotten yourself in the sights of the FBI, your days on the run are numbered.”
The American Dream goes nightmarish.
Burns met his wife Meredith through the church and has known her husband since 8th grade. But it was around 2017 that things started to change. After launching his own brand on the radio, established by his company Dynamic Money, and with sporadic appearances on television, Burns managed to build his image as a reliable businessman, leading to more investment into his fraudulent schemes.
His clothes were handmade. He bought a $1 million lake house. He began taking his family on more frequent trips to Disney World.
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“Disney Dad” drops thousands at Disney World.
Burns’ son Philip said his last vacation to Disney World was when he was 10, but in the years leading up to his disappearance, those trips to The Most Magical Place on Earth increased. His parent, says Philip, was a “Disney Adult.”
The Daily Beast writes that the family went on at least two Disney World vacations a year, many Disney Cruise Line experiences, and even paid for costly VIP tours, priced at close to $8,000 per day at the Disney Resort. The thought of enjoying trips to Magic Kingdom on other people’s money now makes Burns’ family feel guilty and sick.
The FBI’s Most Wanted states that the father “has a tattoo on his left forearm of three black triangles interlaced.” The information on his case can be found here.
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