The Church Took Her Trust- But the Bank, Insurer, and Police Took Her Justice -

The Church Took Her Trust —Then the Banks, Insurers, Police, and Regulators Denied Her Justice

A Grieving Widow. A Fraudulent Refinance. And a System That Did Nothing.

My mother, Cecelia Jenkins, was a 78-year-old woman of deep faith. She trusted her church. Her credit union. Her insurance company. And the systems that were supposed to protect her. She never imagined they would all betray her.

In April 2024, after my mother suffered a stroke, I uncovered a financial nightmare. Church leaders and unlicensed contractors had manipulated her into refinancing her home, drained over $96,000 in equity and insurance proceeds, and left her in an unlivable condition. But what shocked me more than their betrayal was the deafening silence — and outright dismissal — from the very institutions that were supposed to protect her.

Despite overwhelming evidence — including signed checks, incomplete work, recordings, and detailed statutory references — law enforcement declined to pursue criminal charges, dismissing the matter as “civil.” Internal emails and documentation were submitted to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, but even with supporting fraud allegations and the MN Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) findings, no prosecution followed.

The credit union processed a refinance riddled with red flags. Hartford Insurance issued multiple claim checks, and the proceeds were then handed over to the very people exploiting her — including those who allegedly initiated the financial claim — without ensuring any accountability.

Even when state licensing boards later confirmed these individuals had a documented history of unlicensed contracting, no criminal investigation was ever opened. My mother — a disabled stroke victim — passed away, never knowing the full extent of the betrayal. But when we tried to seek justice on her behalf, we were essentially told, “You’re on your own.”

Even more alarming, the evangelist who orchestrated the scheme was able to initiate a homeowner’s insurance claim and receive loan proceeds in my mother’s name, without any written waiver or power of attorney. When we asked the institutions involved to provide verification or documentation authorizing her access, they refused. Instead of investigating how a non-relative could control my elderly mother’s finances, they shut us down.

A System That Protects the Predators

The damage wasn’t just financial. It’s hard to believe the mental toll and stress of the conditions she endured in that house didn’t contribute to my mother’s decline. She passed away before ever seeing a single room repaired. Her final months were spent in a home stripped of comfort, safety, and dignity.

Yet none of the systems we’re told to trust — not the police, not the MN Department of Commerce, not the credit union, not Hartford — have ever accepted accountability.

And that’s why I’m speaking out.

This isn’t just about my mother. It’s about the thousands of elders and families silently experiencing the same betrayal — where justice depends more on who you are than what was done to you.

Would this have happened if my mother’s name were Mary Olson instead of Cecelia Jenkins?

Why This Matters

Faith weaponized. A crisis hiding in plain sight.
In my mother’s case, the financial exploitation wasn’t committed by a stranger — it was orchestrated by the people she trusted most: her spiritual leaders. Despite her fixed income and advanced age, they arranged a 30-year mortgage refinance, took control of her insurance claims, and persuaded her to turn over tens of thousands of dollars — all under the guise of help.

Contractors with revoked licenses were allowed to continue “business as usual.”
Insurance proceeds meant for home repairs were handed off with no oversight or verification.
Bank representatives pushed through a 30-year mortgage refinance for a 78-year-old woman living on a fixed income — despite serious questions about whether she could repay it or fully benefit from its terms. When we asked for proof that such verification took place, we were denied.
Police refused to act — even after being shown receipts, timelines, texts, and a complete paper trail.
And perhaps most disturbingly, state agencies like the Minnesota Department of Commerce — tasked with regulating insurers and financial institutions — allowed these entities to self-police, even after formal complaints and appeals.

I submitted documentation, raised concerns, and even appealed directly to Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold’s office — the highest authority in the state for insurance and financial oversight. But still, no corrective action was taken. The agencies designed to protect consumers simply looked away.

What message does that send? That scammers can hide behind the church, financial institutions can look the other way, and even regulators will leave families to fend for themselves?

We cannot keep calling these ‘civil matters’ when the conduct is coordinated, devastating, and destroys the financial security elders worked their whole lives to build.

What the Bank and Insurer Had to Say

Blaze Credit Union, the institution that processed the mortgage loan for my mother, has refused to confirm who initiated the loan application, what documentation was used to justify her eligibility, or whether my mother gave written consent to involve Pamela Carter — a church evangelist and spiritual advisor to my mother — in any financial matters. Despite multiple direct inquiries — including whether Ms. Carter ever represented herself as a family member or discussed the mortgage when my mother wasn’t present — Blaze declined to provide clarity.

Stonewalled Despite Legal Authority

Backed by Court Order, Ignored by the Institution

Although I was formally appointed as the Personal Representative of my mother’s estate by the Minnesota probate court—a role which grants me full legal authority to manage and inquire into her financial matters—I was met with repeated stonewalling. After receiving an initial non-answer from Blaze Credit Union, I followed up and attached a copy of the court-issued Letters of General Administration, clearly identifying me as the legal representative. Still, Blaze doubled down on their refusal, stating they had “responded to [my] requests to the extent we deem necessary.” This wasn’t a misunderstanding. It was a deliberate choice to withhold information from the only person legally authorized to seek it.

Full correspondence and court documentation are available in the View Supporting Documents section below.

Crucially, I also asked what financial documentation was provided to show my mother could afford the loan, given her fixed income, and requested copies. None were shared. This raises further concern, especially since the loan proceeds were initially deposited into my mother’s account — but nearly the entire sum (over $79,000) was transferred the very next day into the personal account of Pamela Carter, a church evangelist with no legal authority or power of attorney. That personal account was also held at Blaze Credit Union — raising further questions about whether appropriate internal safeguards were followed.”

Like many elders on a fixed income, my mother budgeted cautiously and made ends meet. A 30-year mortgage refinance was not a decision she would’ve entered lightly — if at all — without the insistence of her spiritual advisor.

This alarming transaction chain has never been explained by the credit union or investigated by any regulatory authority, despite formal complaints and mounting evidence that something was deeply wrong.

The Insurance Claim That Raised More Alarms

Around the same time, I discovered that a financial claim had been initiated on my mother’s homeowner’s insurance policy — not by her, but by a third party claiming to be her daughter. What followed was a troubling pattern of evasion and shifting narratives from Hartford Insurance.

While my mother was incapacitated, I noticed Evangelist Pamela Carter’s name listed on the policy — and an uneasy sense of dread set in. I immediately began contacting Hartford Insurance by phone and email, attaching the court orders confirming I had been appointed her legal guardian and conservotor.

At the time, I held court-appointed guardianship and conservatorship and submitted the court orders as proof.

I eventually spoke with a claims representative on April 26, 2024. During that 36-minute call, I was told directly that someone using the name Pam Carter had initiated the claim, claiming to be my mother’s daughter. I immediately clarified that this person was not related to my mother and raised serious concerns about possible financial elder abuse. The representative was initially empathetic and stated that documentation — including recorded calls — could be obtained to help us properly report the fraud and file a police report. After that conversation, however, we never heard from that representative again, despite repeated outreach to Hartford.

I followed up in writing multiple times, requesting confirmation and a copy of the relevant portion of the call to properly document the fraud. Those efforts were met with silence.

“Claiming to be my mother’s daughter — and yet no one ever verified it.”
That’s how a third party was able to access her insurance and file a claim, while I — her legal guardian, conservator, and actual daughter — was ignored.

Hartford did not respond again until I filed a formal complaint with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the state’s regulatory agency for financial institutions. Only then did Hartford state they would conduct an “internal investigation.” Shortly after, the Department of Commerce closed its case.

We asked to hear the calls — to confirm whether my mother had ever given consent. Hartford declined, stating that a subpoena would be required.

Then, on June 21, after the Department of Commerce declined to pursue an independent investigation, a new explanation was provided. A Core Claims supervisor told me that my mother had made the call herself and identified Carter as her daughter — a claim Hartford refused to verify or substantiate with audio, citing “work product.”

Even after court documentation was submitted and a subpoena was served, Hartford Insurance omitted all call recordings from their production and provided no documentation confirming who initiated the claim. These shifting accounts and evasions left our family without the evidence needed to hold those responsible accountable.

No charges. No investigation. Just silence. Had Blaze or Hartford simply required a power of attorney before giving a third party access to an elderly widow’s financial affairs, this nightmare could’ve been prevented.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce: Oversight Without Accountability

I raised concerns of fraud in a formal complaint to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, outlining how an unauthorized third party gained access to my mother’s financial and insurance matters without legal authority. But instead of conducting an independent investigation, the department deferred to Hartford’s own Special Investigations Unit — allowing the insurer to investigate itself.

Instead of launching an investigation, the Commerce Department let the insurer investigate itself. That’s not accountability — that’s complicity.

When I appealed to Commissioner Grace Arnold directly, citing these failings and the need for impartial oversight, no independent investigation was opened. I also submitted separate complaints regarding Blaze Credit Union, including documentation and serious concerns about how the mortgage refinance was handled.

Despite submitting both complaints — one for the insurer, one for the lender — the department never followed up. It wasn’t until I obtained public records through FOIA that I confirmed both complaints had been received and logged. Yet no meaningful action or regulatory review ever occurred.

Had the agency taken timely action, perhaps the trajectory would have been different. Instead, we’re now facing the burden of foreclosure proceedings — trying to repay a loan that, under closer scrutiny, may not have aligned with my mother’s financial circumstances or best interests.

In the end, the agency charged with protecting consumers failed to protect my mother — and by stepping aside, it helped enable the very abuse it should have stopped.

A Personal Cost Few See

Losing both of our parents within nine months was already an unbearable weight. But what made it even harder was discovering this abuse after the stroke, after the funeral, when we thought the worst was behind us.

I became the executor of the estate, the legal advocate, and the one coordinating complaints, lawsuits, and cleanup — while still grieving. My siblings and I didn’t just lose our parents — we lost our peace. The house became a crime scene. The memories were replaced with invoices, fraud reports, and betrayal.

What people don’t see is that this kind of exploitation doesn’t just rob elders. It fractures families, forces children into impossible roles, and turns grief into a battleground. And we’re still in that fight.

View Supporting Documents

To support public transparency and accountability, the following redacted documents are provided:

View the Civil Suit Filed in Ramsey County
View the Administrative Hearing Notification Administrative Hearing Notice – Dept. of Labor & Industry v. Carter et al from Assistant Attorney General Christopher Kaisershot
Read Blaze Credit Union Mortgage Response – “Deemed Necessary” Email
See Hartford Emails: Refusal to Release Audio & Shifting Explanations
View MN Dept. of Commerce – Refusal to Investigate (Redacted)
Washington County Sheriff – Decline to Pursue Charges (Redacted)
Court-Appointed Executor (Probate Order)

Take Action

If this story moved you, here’s how you can help:

Sign the petition urging Minnesota officials to act — and Congress to pass legislation that protects elders from financial and spiritual abuse by those they trust: Change.org
Support our legal fight Support our legal fight to keep our mother’s home and hold these institutions accountable. We’re up against organizations with deep pockets and powerful protections — but your support helps level the playing field. Support our Legal Fight

Watch the Full Video Series

She Preyed Over My Mama — A True Story of Faith, Fraud, and the Fight for Justice

Raw & Unedited Version:
Watch the full original series on the Hello Bougie YouTube channel:
Watch on YouTube
Updated & Edited Version (Coming Soon):
Includes new footage, B-roll, captions, and ongoing case developments.
Will be released at:
SistaGirlJD.com

Final Word

My mother wasn’t just a case number. She was Cecelia Jenkins — a woman of faith and love, who deserved better. The systems failed her. But I won’t.

Her story is not just a cautionary tale — it’s a call to reckon with the systems that failed her.
I carry her name, and I’m not done fighting. I’m speaking out so that no other family has to experience this heartbreak — so that no other son or daughter has to become the lawyer, the investigator, and the witness just to get answers.

About Me
I am the founder of Sista Girl JD, a legal empowerment platform created to help families recognize, expose, and fight elder financial abuse — and to advocate for vulnerable people failed by the very systems meant to protect them.

Planning Ahead Matters.
One of the hardest parts of this journey was navigating care, paperwork, and financial protections while in crisis. If you’re supporting a loved one or want to prepare for your own future, consider downloading our End-of-Life Essentials Toolkit — a simple, practical resource to help you plan ahead and protect your family.
[Download the Toolkit] — or learn more at [SistaGirlJD.com]

Coming Soon: Hallelujah, Hand It Over

Religious manipulation can be just as damaging as financial fraud — especially when the two are intertwined. My upcoming guide, Hallelujah, Hand It Over, takes a hard look at how faith leaders use spiritual pressure to gain trust, override boundaries, and exploit vulnerable elders.

If this story hits close to home, follow @HallelujahHandItOver on Instagram or Facebook for updates — or visit SistaGirlJD.com to get notified when it launches.