Founder Gregg Garner and his wife Tara cleared of all charges as fraud case is dismissed
NASHVILLE, TN
On July 28, 2022 the Office of the Attorney General dropped all charges of TennCare Fraud and Theft of Services against Tara and Gregg Garner, Founder/CEO of Global Outreach Developments (GOD), International. These charges were the result of a hate-group who provoked about a three year long investigation into the Garners’ personal lives, nonprofit, and business activity. The Garners are cleared of all charges, nolle prosequi “with prejudice,” meaning that it cannot be tried or re-opened.
The Backstory: Charges Against Gregg and Tara Garner
On March 15, 2021, Gregg and Tara Garner were arrested based on allegations regarding insurance fraud and theft of services from November 2015 to December 2017 for their five children totalling $18,112.06. $1,310.92 in dental, $172.26 in pharmacy, and $16,628.88 in "capitation fees" - a fee which is paid by the state of TN to a Managed Care Contractor (MCC) for the provision of medical services. 1.
Though the Garners used $1483.18 for Dental and Pharmacy for their children, they did so unwittingly. Dental providers and pharmacies are required to use TennCare if a person is in their system for such, and they do so without notifying the customer/patient.. 2.
Legal discovery revealed that a hate group brought sensational theories of wrongdoing by Gregg Garner to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) commencing an investigation in 2017. Approximately 18 months later in July of 2019 the TBI, the Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health Services raided the G.O.D. Int’l campus along with over 50 agents, many in fatigues and combat boots.
Agents interviewed staff members, students, and anyone who would talk to them on campus. They went to various homes in the neighborhood, asking questions about Gregg Garner to anyone who would answer the door.
The Inspector General told Garner that after about 18 months of investigation from afar, they needed to see for themselves what was happening. After about four hours of interviews and confiscating records, files, and anything they felt relevant, the agents left the campus and neighborhood.
Over the next 20 months, previously mentioned state departments continued to subpoena bank records, tax returns, balance sheets, and profit and loss statements, going back 7 years - they did more interviews with various personnel who worked closely with Garner. This brought about incredible stress, reputational and financial harm, legal fees, and finally, a warrant for the arrest of both Gregg and Tara for alleged TennCare Fraud and Theft of Services through a grand jury indictment wherein the accused does not get a voice or representation in court.
On July 28 2022 Office of the District Attorney General, Glenn Funk, declared Gregg and Tara’s innocence and their case nolle prosequi. It is a testament to the integrity of our organization that after a thorough investigation involving multiple state agencies, no wrongdoing was discovered.
Gregg Garner founded Global Outreach Developments International in 1996 with the help of his wife Tara Garner, and their best friends, Jason Roufs and Robert Munoz, pictured here in Kenya.
Nolle prosequi
(no-lay pro-say-kwee) n. Latin for "we shall no longer prosecute" is a declaration made to the judge by a prosecutor in a criminal case (or by a plaintiff in a civil lawsuit) either before or during the trial, meaning the case against the defendant is being dropped. The statement is an admission that the charges cannot be proved, that evidence has demonstrated either innocence or a fatal flaw in the prosecution's claim, or that the district attorney has become convinced the accused is innocent. 3.
The Garners’ case is dismissed with prejudice. A case that is “dismissed with prejudice” means the court has looked at the merits of the case and made a final determination that the case should not move forward--that it is completely and permanently over. All charges and criminal records against Gregg and Tara Garner on this matter will be expunged (deleted).
Tara Garner, right, alongside her best friend Heather Munoz and a village midwife in India. Tara has served as a childbirth educator, doula, and advocate for mothers in birth, both in Nashville and around the world. She pioneered the Childbirth Education Program (now Maternal Health minor) at The Institute for G.O.D. and is co-founder of NOVA Birth Services.
The Impact on the Wrongfully Accused
The extreme public defamation, relational damage, physical, emotional, and mental health trauma, including the economic loss caused by the allegations, are beyond calculation in the lives of Tara, Gregg, and their five young children (whose first and middle names were included in an article published by The Tennessean), and subsequently shared by hate groups determined to promote a damaging smear campaign.
“As a society, a main impulse is to protect children. Protecting children means protecting them from undue publicity. The main ethical question for reporters dealing with children is to see to it that first, they do no harm.”
— Richard Wald, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
While the family was already suffering a long and painful battle with cancer, their sense of safety was further disrupted as reporters and film crews invaded their home, schools, and places of work. The hate group used the false charges to promote their agenda, labeling Gregg as a cult leader and G.O.D. International as a cult, perpetuating false information and lies, indefinite harm to the family’s personal lives, and to the nonprofit's education and development work on the national and international scene.
Gregg Garner, an ethnic minority and leader living in the south, is unfortunately too familiar with critiques of both he and the ministry he founded in the 90’s. Success in the religious, education and business sectors (16 Best of Nashville Awards were given to several of these entities in 2021), combined with our country’s pop culture obsession with cults did not help the sensational claims of disgruntled onlookers.
What came as a shock was the lengths a hate group would go to destroy Gregg’s life and ministry, including harm to his wife and kids. Gregg and Tara have had threats on their lives. Their children have been yelled at and even chased down the street. Banking institutions cut them off from banking relationships, including not being able to take advantage of the CARES act to assist their business and nonprofit efforts after the indictment.
The Garners and G.O.D. Int’l employees have had to seek persistent legal and police assistance, including restraining orders, to keep threatening individuals aroused by the false accusations away from their business offices, homes, and schools.
Gregg is the founding pastor at the Community Church for GOD, a church of around 300 attendees.
Moving Forward
As a ministry and reputable community service organization, we are overwhelmingly relieved by The Office of Attorney General Glenn Funk's decision on the Garners’ case dismissal. We are grateful for the support and prayers of mentors and friends at The Association for Biblical Higher Education, which has thoroughly vetted our institution as one fit for biblical higher education. Likewise, The Association for Christian Schools Institution (the member association for The Academy for GOD), offered prayers and legal services.
Unfortunately, these types of legal and media battles are not uncommon at faith-based institutions. We are likewise thankful to the parents and students at The Institute for G.O.D. and The Academy for G.O.D., who stood by the Garners in their innocence and believed in the quality of their children's education and the integrity of our leadership to endure this long battle with us.
However, as Gregg has noted “the dismissal of the case doesn’t undo the pain.” The injury caused to the Garner family is deep. We ask for your earnest prayers, compassion, and support as we trust God to heal and restore.
Despite being wrongfully accused, Gregg and Tara lived out their faith, surrendering peacefully, quietly enduring public humiliation, threats, and lies across the internet.
Tara Garner states, “we cannot say enough good about our family, friends, and community that never left our sides. They believed in our innocence and defended our integrity. Although the stigma of false allegations can be staggeringly damaging, the overwhelming love of those who know us strengthened and upheld us. The fact that this hate group has nothing better to do than spend their energy and resources committing libel, slander, and character defamation in attempts to destroy us is the most dishonorable kind of behavior.”
Tara continues, “for those that know us, it isn’t hard to see this hate group's efforts for what they are. The traumatic lengths to which our lives have been investigated and finally, proven innocent, should substantially discredit their false claims. Just as we always have, we will stand for the truth. We have something so special here at G.O.D. Intl, a group of good people characterized by their love and faith, determined to do good in the world. This could never be undone or undermined by the kind of religious persecution we’ve endured. ‘The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.’ Psalm 145:18”
Gregg and Tara are people of integrity. Their love and service to God in Nashville, Latin America, East Africa, India, and The Philippines has brought opportunities and transformation to tens of thousands over their 25 plus years of ministry.
The Board of Directors for both G.O.D. International and The Institute for G.O.D. were so convinced of the Garners’ innocence that they never asked Gregg to resign his role as CEO and President. As a ministry, we are excited to continue in the good work we’re doing for Nashville and the world at large.
For any additional questions, contact info@godintl.org.
4. NY Times - “Some News Organizations Decline to Publish Minors’ Names.” See also:
• The Chicago Tribune doesn’t name children unless they’re charged for a crime as an adult.
• UNICEF has published guidelines for reporting on children, which The Tennessean bypassed in publishing their first and middle names, ages, and name of their school.
• The Education Writers Association also has published guidelines for publishing information on minors, beginning with a simple rule: “do no harm.
• Most newspapers do not even publish the names of minors facing charges
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