Montco man admits defrauding church members

A Montgomery County man pleaded guilty Monday to charges of swindling elderly church members with promises of booking them on trips to holy sites in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Federal prosecutors said John B. Baird, 73, of Elkins Park, defrauded 138 church members out of $423,577. Sentencing for Baird, who pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud, is set for May 7.

Baird formerly owned and operated Christian Pilgrim Tours Inc., which organized trips to Israel, Italy, France, Poland, and other places, the government said. The company marketed the trips to elderly and retired church members, often recruiting priests and other congregants to solicit customers.

Instead of using money collected to pay for the trips, prosecutors said, Baird used much of it for personal and other expenses. In 2006, prosecutors said, he collected more than $300,000 for three canceled trips before his company filed for bankruptcy that October. - Staff report