Food charity faces hearing

MONROE - A Walton County judge will decide Friday whether to bar the leaders of a multimillion dollar charity from their Monroe headquarters pending an FBI investigation into financial mismanagement.

The lawsuit involves Angel Food Ministries, a food charity founded and run by the Rev. Joseph Wingo, his wife and two sons.

A Feb. 25 suit filed by Angel Food board members Craig Atnip, of Texas, and David Prather, of Georgia, alleges the Wingos enriched themselves by at least $2.7 million.

It also accuses the Wingos of directing $600,000 from Angel Food to their church as a ``housing allowance.''

The charity, which provides low-cost boxes of food to 500,000 families a month, was the subject of a Feb. 11 FBI raid. Leadership has confirmed the FBI is investigating.

According to its Web site, Angel Food Ministries has 25 host sites within a 20-mile radius of Gainesville... including six in Gainesville, itself.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/3/218389