Rev Creflo Dollar is mega rich Christian preacher who faced JAIL over his financial secrecy

When mega church leader Creflo Dollar wanted a new private jet he asked his parishioners to open their hearts and wallets and help foot the $65m bill.

But when it comes to his own finances, the Rev Creflo is considerably less open.

Documents obtained by Daily Mail Online show that the pastor and televangelist was threatened with prison for failing to hand over documents that would reveal the source of his income.

He was held in contempt of court -  carrying the possibility of prison - during a messy divorce between boxer Evander Holyfield and his second wife. 

The preacher refused to cooperate in the civil case.

A judge even wrote a personal letter to Creflo pleading with him as a 'man of God' to comply with the law.

But Creflo refused - and used every legal maneuver to get out of revealing anything to do with his finances by appealing to the Georgia Supreme Court.

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Frequent flyer: The Rev Creflo Dollar arrives in Kenya on his previous private jet. It was involved in a collision on the ground in the UK and he launch an appeal for a Gulfstream G650, the world's fastest business jet

Mass appeal: Rev Creflo Dollar preaches his 'gospel of prosperity' and hope to use it to encourage followers like these to hand over $300 each so he could buy the G650. Other owners include Steve Jobs' widow

Couple: Rev Creflo Dollar and his wife Taffi. The couple have five children, two adopted, three biological, and live on a 53-acre estate close to Atlanta. He has a penchant for pinstrip suits

Secluded: This is the vast home set in 53 acres which Rev Creflo Dollar calls home. He and his wife also enjoy a property in New Jersey and previously sold an apartment in one of New York's most sought-after addresses

Years later he would evade a Senate finance committee inquiry into his finances although it was learned that in 2006 his Atlanta based church pulled in $69m in one year.

Creflo was deemed the 'least cooperative' out of six televangelists who were under investigation amid concern by politicians that their churches were using a tax exempt status to fund extravagant lifestyles.

After three years the probe was abandoned when Dollar, and the others, refused to comply with the demands to hand over paperwork that would document their incomes.

Creflo preaches 'prosperity from the gospel' with members of his church urged to donate a portion of their income, known as tithe, to the church.

The charismatic pastor who favors pin striped suits can certainly be said to be living proof of his own words.

He lives in a spectacular $2.4m mansion set in over 50 acres of land in Fayette County, near Atlanta, and once owned a condo overlooking Central Park in New York city - before selling it for a profit above $1 million.

They also have a house on a private estate in Bergen, north New Jersey where the last similar property to be sold reached a price of $2.1 million. Property taxes on the estate are around $34,000 a year.

His preferred pick of cars is a Rolls Royce - he says it was a gift - and as his parishioners found out from his $65m appeal the world's fastest and most luxurious private jet is his desired method of air travel.

The plea for the $65m was made in a video on the website of his Atlanta based mega church.

Sought after: The Gulfstream G650 flies fractionally lower than the speed of sound, can seat 18, and has a range of 7,000 miles. But Rev Creflo Dollar abandoned his plea to buy one after being mocked and criticised

Damaged: The pastor's old Gulfstream III was involved in an accident on the ground in the UK and had already flown four million miles. Its difficulties and age prompted the appeal for cash to buy a G650

Damage: The Rev Creflo Dollar's plane crashed as it prepared for departure from London Biggin Hill airport on 24 November last year. The church then launched an appeal for a new Gulfstream G650

On board: The usually low-profile Rev Creflo Dollar invited Atlanta television channel Fox 5 on board his then private jet in 2006. In the course of the interview he said his calling could not be carried out on scheduled flights

Plea: This was the appeal launched by Rev Creflo Dollar's church for a new Gulfstream. It claimed the plane had suffered engine failure and had to be brought in to land. It is known that it had ploughed off the runway while preparing to depart from Biggin Hill Airport in the United Kingdom.

Dollar said he needed the Gulfstream to replace his current jet which had flown over four million miles.

It was damaged on the ground at Biggin Hill Airport, south of London  as it prepared for departure. 

An appeal online claimed it had suffered engine failure and that 'by the grace of God' the pilot 'landed the plane safely'. 

The time and location of the incident was not disclosed, making it impossible to verify it or disclose further details.

Creflo would use the jet to fly around the world to deliver his message as well as hand out aid to the most needy, the appeal said.

Aviation experts pointed out that a cargo plane would be more suitable given the Gulfstream's limited luggage space of 2,500lbs.

Other private jets are also available at far less than the $65m price tag of the Gulfstream which is usually the preserve of the rich and famous. Steve Jobs's widow is one of the owners of the plane.

Within 24 hours of asking each of his parishioners to chip in $300 the appeal was taken down from his website as Christian leaders pour scorn on his plea calling it 'obscene'.

Writing on the Charisma website, Dr Michael Brown said: 'I'm all for generous giving, and I'm all for taking care of ministers of the gospel, but I will not be sending Creflo Dollar $300 to help him buy a $65 million jet for his ministry. The very thought of it is obscene.'

Dollar refused to make any comment when contacted by Daily Mail Online

His spokesman Juda Engelmayer, senior vice president at 5W Public Relations in New York, told Daily Mail Online that the fund raising for the jet had been abandoned.

He said: 'Mr Dollar is flying commercial now. The fund raising was stopped.'

Previously he had said of flying, as he was interviewed on a private jet journey from Atlanta to New York: 'In order for me to do what I have been called to do, the airlines, they don't fly my schedule.'

In the same interview, with Fox 5 Atlanta, he defended his 'gospel of prosperity' and said: 'I define prosperity as every arena of life. 

'Prospering in your spirit, prospering in your soul, prospering in your physical body that's healthy, prospering in your relationships, prospering in your job and prospering in your finances.'

The Rev Dollar rarely gives any interviews and callers to his palatial style home can only enter through an entry phone system.

Such is the lavish nature of his property that the house, which features Roman style pillars at the entrance, cannot be seen from the roadside.

Wrought iron gates emblazoned with two roaring lions stand at the entrance to a winding roadway leading up to the house set in 53 acres, including two lakes.

A cream-colored wall surrounds the property with two foot tall Victorian style lamps adorning the pillars.

Neighbors rarely see Dollar or his wife Taffi, but have complained about the lights on the perimeter wall being kept on all the time.

Estate: The only way to appreciate the scale of Rev Creflo Dollar's home is from the air. The house is set in 56 acres, including grass and woodlands 

Imposing: The house is not visible from the road and is guarded by a security system. Neighbors have complained about the lights being on round the clock

Landscaped: The Rev Creflo Dollar's estate includes rolling fields. It is the biggest property in the county

Property deal: Rev Creflo Dollar used this deed to hand the property to the church for $1. It is now registered in their name again. The reason for the change is unknown

One neighbor said: 'In all the years I have lived here I've never spoken to him.

'He just arrives in his car and drives up to the house. He has never made any attempt to get to know the people who live near him.'

Dollar, 52, owns the biggest property in Fayette County. Last year his tax bill for the house was $28,557.

Since buying the property in 1994 he has transferred ownership to his church in a process known as quit claim deed. It has since been transferred back into Dollar's and his wife's names.

The pastor took the title of the county's biggest house after Evander Holyfield lost his 109-room mansion to foreclosure in 2012.

Holyfield was a member of Dollar's church which preaches the religious doctrine that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians.

Buried in the archives at Fayette County Superior Court are three files packed with hundreds of pages that detail the critical role Dollar played in the contentious divorce of Holyfield and his wife Janice Itson.

According to Itson's lawyer during her three year marriage her husband made donations of $4m to Dollar's church.

Divorce: Evander Holyfield and his second wife Janice became involved in an ugly divorce. In the course of it the Rev Creflo Dollar was held in contempt for refusing to be deposed over finances and warned he faced prison

Infamous: Evander Holyfield is best known for the so-called bite fight, when he clashed with Mike Tyson in June 1997 and Tyson took a chunk out of his ear

Lavish: Evander Holyfield's them property was at the center of his divorce battle. In the divorce proceedings it was disclosed that he had given $4 million to Rev Creflo Dollar's church 

Plea: Daily Mail Online can disclose how the judge in the case was reduced to begging with Rev Creflo Dollar as 'a man of God' to come clean on details of finances. He had previously found the pastor in contempt

The bulk of that money was paid 60 days before Holyfield - who famously had part of his ear bitten off by Mike Tyson during a 1997 bout known as the 'bite fight' -  filed for divorce.

Lawyer John Mayoue, representing Itson, requested Dollar make a deposition to explain how much money he had received from Holyfield.

Dollar refused to take the deposition and employed his own legal team to fight off any move to force him to reveal details of his finances.

The pastor claimed he would be infringing his ministerial duty if he talked about Holyfield and his wife as he said he had counseled them both.

But despite being told the court was only interested in financial arrangements Dollar refused to comply.

On December 21 1999 Judge Ben Miller signed an order holding Dollar in contempt of court and ordered him to be held in Fayette County jail.

Dollar's legal team appealed and the pastor was never jailed.

But just two months later the judge took the extraordinary step of writing a personal letter to Dollar pleading with him to give a deposition.

Prestigious: The Time Warner Center, also known as One Central Park, is where the Rev Creflo Dollar and his wife Taffi bought and sold an apartment - for a more than $1million profit

Views: The advantage of the apartment on floor 67 of the Time Warner Center was not just its sweeping views across Manhattan. It also made the Dollars a profit in excess of $1million

In the pink: The apartment in the Time Warner Center was bought for $2.4m and sold for $3.75m, making the Dollars well over one million dollars

Flush with success: The two-bedroom apartment boasted marble-clad bathroom with his-and-hers sinks, as well as views of the city

Judge Miller wrote:' This is a personal appeal to you as a citizen of the State and Nation, and as a man of God, asking you to comply with the law.

'My order specifically relieves you from violating the ministerial privilege. And I assure you no violation of the ministerial privilege will ever be required of you.

'If you choose not to submit to the deposition, both of us must comply with the law, and these officers must arrest you.'

Dollar never gave the deposition as Holyfield settled his divorce a month later and the case was closed.

Lawyer John Mayoue said:'It is a matter of public record what was said about Holyfield's donations to the church and why I wanted to find out about them.

'He was very much a material witness in the divorce case but did everything not to appear.'

Holyfield's ex-wife Janice refused to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Online.

Dollar's reticence to talk about where he makes his money became the subject of a Senate inquiry in 2006.

The World Changers Church International, like other churches, is a tax-exempt organisation.

Neighbors: Kelly Ripa is among the stars who have had properties in One Central Park. She was named as owning one by the New York Times

Pied-a-tierre: Other people who own apartments in the Time Warner Center include Tom Brady (left) the Super Bowl winning New England Patriots quarterback, and Ricky Martin, the singer

Donors receive a tax exemption for their donations and the church pays no tax on the revenue.

As a church it also does not have to file a publicly-available tax return, unlike other nonprofit organisations.

The Senate Finance Committee, led then by Iowa Republican Charles Grassley, announced an investigation into the finances of six TV evangelists.

He said he was trying to determine whether or not the ministries were improperly using their tax-exempt status as churches to shield lavish lifestyles.

The six ministries under investigation were led by Dollar, Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Eddie Long, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn.

In a statement to CBS News, Dollar called his ministry an 'open book' and said he would comply with any 'valid request' from Grassley.

But he later failed to provide the relevant information to Grassley and his team leading him to be called the 'least cooperative' out of the six.

Dollar again used his legal muscle to argue that an investigation of his finances was down to the IRS and not the Senate Committee.

Despite failing to cooperate the Senate Committee were able to piece together details of Dollar's ministry through public documents and third parties.

It found that in n 2006, World Changers had received $69 million in contributions at its Atlanta church alone. 

Lots of room: The World Dome is the headquarters for Rev Creflo Dollar's religious activities worldwide. The Atlanta church seats 8,500 

Up in lights: Rev Creflo Dollar makes clear that he is in sole charge of his church with this sign outside its Atlants headquarters

Following: Rev Creflo Dollar asked his congregation to put their hands in their pockets for his private jet

It also revealed the Dollars owned two multi-million dollar homes in Georgia, and that the church and its related businesses had owned four different aircraft.

In 2005 the Dollars paid $2.4m for a 67th floor condo in the Time Warner Centre.

Five years later they sold the two bedroom unit for $3.75m - making a healthy profit of over $1m.

Dollar has always been coy about where he has made his money saying it came from real estate investments and business deals.

His current lifestyle is a far cry from his upbringing in the College Park area of Atlanta, close to the airport.

Named after his father Creflo Dollar Sr, little is known about his early life and the pastor has never talked about his formative years.

At the time he launched his first ministry Dollar and his wife lived on a smart estate in Fayetteville, Georgia.

Neighbors said they had no idea he was a preacher and one suspected he might be involved in drugs because of the irregular hours he kept.

'I would be leaving very early for work and he would just be coming back,' said the neighbor. 'He kept very strange hours.'

Others said they did not find Dollar particularly friendly.

'When they moved in I called over to say hello. They said hello, and that was it. I never spoke to the man again. For a man of the cloth he was not very friendly. I got the impression he did not want anyone knowing too much about him.

'I had to laugh when I saw his plea for the jet. That made me laugh out loud.' 

Probed: Paula White was one of the six church leaders whose finances were looked into by the Senate finance committee in 2006. Rev Creflo Dollar was criticized as 'the least co-operative'

Also questioned: Kenneth Copeland (left) and Joyce Meyer (right) were also part of the Senate finance committee's investigation

Also scrutinized: Evangelist Benny Hinn was one of the subjects of the Senate's investigation

Dollar launched his World Changers Ministry in 1986 in the cafe of a school in College Park when eight people attended.

The name was later changed to World Changers Church International and as his congregation grew it moved to its own chapel.

In 1995 the church moved to its current location known as the World Dome, a 8,500 seat facility that cost $18m to build.

The church boasts 30,000 members and has 350 employees working on an 81-acre campus.

There is a satellite church in the Bronx, New York, and one of the reasons Dollar has given for wanting to the private jet is so he can easily commute between Atlanta and New York.

His church boasts members around the world and its slick website says it has members in Russia, Canada, Europe, South America and Asia.

Public records show that Dollar and his wife have at least 20 companies linked to their names, ranging from a record company called Arrow to another called Epic Mineral.

Much of the income for Dollar and his church is derived from sales of books, tapes and other items linked to his prosperity gospel. Dollar is also said to charge up to $100,000 for each speaking engagement.

Dollar said in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press that he renounced his salary from the church, and his income only comes from personal investments, including a real estate residential property business and horse breeding company called Dollar Ranch.

Daily Mail Online could find no record of a horse breeding company called Dollar Ranch. 

Brush with the law: Rev Creflo Dollar's mugshot from his arrest in 2012 for allegedly attacking his daughter, then 15. He said he was innocent

Case: Police documents from the Rev Creflo Dollar's arrest for allegedly attacking his daughter, 15

Worldwide: The scale of the 'prosperity gospel' preaching church is shown by its website. It also operates in Canada, the United Kingdom, and parts of Africa

During the Holyfield divorce his lawyer told the court he was often booked up four months in advance such was his popularity.

Until the public relations disaster of asking for $65m for a new jet Dollar had kept a low profile.

However, that was shattered in 2012 when he was arrested over a fight with his teenage daughter at his lavish home.

The pastor and his daughter were arguing over whether she could go to a party when he grabbed her leaving her with 'superficial injuries.'

In a police report obtained by Daily Mail.com Dollar admitted 'spanking' his 15-year-old daughter on her bottom and legs.

A 19-year-old daughter, who was not named in the police report, confirmed what had happened while his wife Taffi denied seeing the assault.

Dollar was arrested on a simple battery charge and had his police mug shot taken in jail.

Prosecutors later dropped the charge after he took part in a pre-trial intervention program.

In the police report officer M Everett noticed a scratch mark on the teenager's neck which matched her claim to have been throttled by her father.

However, when preaching from the pulpit Dollar insisted the scratch was a skin condition.

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