Pastor Garvin Otto Facing Several Fraud Charges

Pastor Gavin Otto, a well-known man who proclaims to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is facing several criminal charges for reportedly scamming many residents over two years

The 41-year-old All Saint’s resident is charged with fraudulent conversion and obtaining money by false pretenses as heard in court yesterday.

In one of the accusations, Otto reportedly accepted $16,000 from a woman in exchange for two 40ft storage containers in February 2021 but reports are that the woman never received the containers even several months later

It is alleged that the woman contacted Otto who repaid her by cheque which bounced.

Otto, according to the complainant was shocked that his account had insufficient funds.

He then delivered one container to the woman. The second was reportedly never obtained.

But the accusations against the pastor thickened when another allegation was leveled against him, claiming that between July 4 and August 26, 2022, he exchanged several cheques at the Bridge Service station totaling over $20,000.

Just like what happened to the woman, all the cheques bounced and were returned to the gas station owner for insufficient fund

In October last year, police officers obtained a search warrant for Ottos home but they reported that when they got there, he jumped a fence and ran into the bushes

But police pursued him and later apprehended him. When they searched his home, several cheque stubs and receipts were found in his private dwelling

But the accusations against Pastor Otto kept coming fast and furious, when on On July 13 last year, he allegedly convinced another individual to purchase building materials from him.

Reports are that he bought and delivered the building materials costing around $30,000 then told the individual that he needed money to “clear the others”

The “man of God” was allegedly paid $99,000 but never provided the materials.

Ottos, in an attempt to repay the complainant, gave him a $69,000 cheque which, like many others, had bounced.

And things kept getting worst for Pastor Otto when in September 2022, he overheard a conversation at a bar between two men.

The conversation was about needing building materials and Otto reportedly quickly sprang into action, saying that he could purchase steel at a discount, given that he was a pastor.

The man, like many others who trust men of the cloth, allegedly paid $16,000 for four bundles of steel but only received two.

Otto appeared in the St John’s Magistrate’s Court yesterday and was served his case file; a very thick one at that. He is expected to return to court on July 6 for his committal hearing.