He gave speeches and lectures on investing, and invited churchgoers to invest in his real estate development deals focused on improving and renovating impoverished areas such as inner-city ghettos. His series of lectures was called the “Building Wealth Tour” included stops at some of the nation’s largest mega-churches, including New Birth Baptist Church and Lakewood Church. Over the course of the scheme he defrauded more than 400 people of over $16 million. Ephren Taylor was subsequently arrested and in March 2015 was sentenced to serve 19 years and seven months in Federal prison.