A Christian radio host in Texas will spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced this week for a Ponzi scheme in which he stole millions of dollars from listeners.
William Neil ‘Doc’ Gallagher (pictured above, in a mugshot) received THREE life sentences plus another 30-year prison term from Judge Elizabeth Beach in the Tarrant County case on Monday. Gallagher, who is 80 years old, pleaded guilty back in August before his sentencing this week.
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The sentencing came after more than a dozen senior victims testified they’d lost between $50,000 and $600,000 each after investing in the Gallagher Financial Group. All told, the self-proclaimed “Money Doctor” stole tens of millions of dollars from nearly 200 trusting victims using his radio position to broadcast.
Victims — the majority of whom were older than 60, according to the New York Times — had to sell their homes, borrow money from their children, or take part-time jobs to get by after the deceit.
Lori Varnell, head of the Tarrant County DA’s Elder Financial Fraud team, released a statement about the man who liked to say “see you in church on Sunday” to his listeners.
Pained by Gallagher’s actions, Varnell said (below):
“Doc Gallagher is one of the worst offenders I have seen. He ruthlessly stole from his clients who trusted him for almost a decade. He amassed $32 million in loss to all of his clients and exploited many elder individuals. He worked his way around churches preying on people who believed he was a Christian.”
Jeez…
Gallagher was already in jail, having pleaded guilty in 2020 to similar charges in Dallas County.
He had already been sentenced to 25 years in prison in that case.
[Image via Dallas County Sheriff’s Department]
