St. Joseph ‘Ministry’ Boss Gets 17 Years for $8M Fraud

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Craig Anthony Reynolds, 62, of St. Joseph, Missouri, is headed to federal prison for 17 years and six months after admitting he masterminded an $8 million wire fraud scheme. Reynolds, the co-founder and CEO of Medical Cost Sharing, a so-called Christian health care sharing ministry, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays. He was immediately taken into custody.

Reynolds and his co-defendant, James L. McGinnis, 77, of St. Joseph, built their operation on lies, promising members affordable healthcare through a faith-based “ministry.” In reality, the pair pocketed the vast majority of the $8 million in member contributions – at least $5,168,268 – leaving victims with unpaid medical bills. The scheme ran from 2014 until December 2022. Reynolds pleaded guilty on November 14, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making false statements on a tax return. McGinnis pleaded guilty to the same charges on April 2, 2024, and awaits sentencing.

The court didn’t just hand down a lengthy prison sentence. Reynolds was ordered to pay $7,758,908 in restitution to the victims, $253,474 to the IRS, and another $46,550 to the Missouri Department of Revenue. Federal authorities will also seize and sell $462,771 in assets, including Reynolds’ St. Joseph residence, a Lincoln Navigator, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and funds from several bank accounts.

Medical Cost Sharing preyed on the vulnerable, marketing itself as a cheaper, “Christian” alternative to traditional health insurance. The organization’s website falsely claimed to offer similar benefits, while subtly acknowledging it wasn’t *actually* insurance. Reynolds and McGinnis used radio ads, social media, and insurance brokers to lure in members, promising to cover healthcare costs after a deductible was met. But the reality was far different. For nearly two years – from February 2021 to December 2022 – Medical Cost Sharing paid *no* claims, despite collecting nearly $1.2 million in member dues.

Victims only saw a payout if they threatened legal action or filed complaints with state attorneys general. Reynolds and McGinnis routinely ignored legitimate claims, siphoning off member contributions for personal gain. The pair raked in at least 64 percent of all contributions, turning a supposed ministry into a personal slush fund. This wasn’t faith-based healthcare; it was a cold-blooded con.

Federal agents raided Medical Cost Sharing’s business location and the homes of Reynolds and McGinnis in December 2022, seizing evidence of the fraud. The case serves as a stark reminder that even organizations cloaked in religious language are not immune to criminal greed. Reynolds will spend the next decade-and-a-half paying for his betrayal of those who trusted him.