My name is Saran Crayton, and I’m fighting for justice for my late mother, Cecelia F. Jenkins — a preacher’s wife, a proud mother, and a 78-year-old woman of deep faith, and a recent widow, was preyed upon and financially exploited in the final year of her life by those she trusted most.

After my father, Rev. Richard Jenkins, a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient, passed away, my mother hoped to leave the family home to her children. Instead, she was manipulated by Evangelist Pamela Carter, and her husband, Deacon Charles Carter,— both trusted leaders in her church — into taking out a mortgage for “home renovations” that were never completed.

Over $96,000 was drained — and today, the house sits in disrepair and foreclosure looms.

💔 The Pattern of Deception

• $79,876 in mortgage proceeds were transferred into Evangelist Carter’s personal bank account at Blaze Credit Union — the same institution that originated and now holds the mortgage currently facing foreclosure
•  The proceeds of a second insurance check for $15,848.25 was redirected to Deacon Carter under misleading pretenses
• My mother received no receipts, no accounting, and no completed work — yet was left with the debt
• The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry confirmed unlicensed work, financial misconduct, and falsified credentials by the Carters and their collaborators
• Bank records show funds spent at Macy’s, Comcast, Verizon, Amazon, and on personal items — not on home repairs
  Despite it all, no criminal charges have been filed
   

❌ Institutions That Failed Us | Financial Institutions Enabled Harm

We submitted complaints to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Attorney, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Hartford Insurance, and Blaze Credit Union.

• The MN Department of Labor and Industry is the only agency that took meaningful action.
• Blaze Credit Union withheld documentation and refused to answer whether Cecelia qualified for the mortgage.
• Hartford Insurance omitted call recordings from subpoena responses and denied access to audio confirming who initiated the claim
  The MN Department of Commerce refused to investigate or compel disclosure.
• The Washington County Sheriff’s Office declined to pursue charges, even after being presented with applicable Minnesota statutes— dismissing the matter as a civil issue, even in the face of documented financial abuse.

Despite all of this, Evangelist Pamela Carter held no power of attorney, no written waiver, and no legal right to speak for my mother — yet was granted access to financial information and funds that even her own family was denied.

Would this have happened if my mother’s name were Mary Olson instead of Cecelia Jenkins?  

We don’t think so. And we refuse to ignore the role that race and institutional indifference may have played in this injustice.

📞 Crucial Evidence Was Buried

We were told by a Hartford claims representative that Evangelist Carter called the company, claiming to be my mother’s daughter, to initiate a financial claim on her homeowner’s insurance policy. We asked to hear those calls — to confirm whether my mother ever gave consent. Hartford refused.

Those same calls were omitted from a subpoena, and the MN Department of Commerce refused to investigate or request them, allowing Hartford to “clear itself” without oversight.

The result? Crucial evidence was buried — and our family was left financially devastated, denied both answers and accountability.

🏠 A Home and Legacy at Risk

My parents bought their home more than 40 years ago, intending it to be a blessing for the next generation.

Now, we may be forced to sell it at a substantial loss, just to stop foreclosure by Blaze Credit Union and repay debt that should never have been owed — debt based on a loan they approved and allowed to be redirected without proper oversight.

⚖️ Updated Call to Action: State Leadership Must Intervene
Despite months of documented evidence, filings, and agency complaints, Blaze Credit Union continues to pursue foreclosure on my late mother’s home while withholding key records and issuing conflicting payoff figures.
The estate has provided proof of inflated charges and missing disclosures—yet state agencies have failed to compel compliance.

That’s why this petition now also calls on Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison to intervene.
Minnesota’s executive leaders have the authority to ensure the Department of Commerce and financial regulators reopen their investigations, enforce elder-protection statutes, and hold Blaze Credit Union, its foreclosure counsel, and related institutions accountable.

We’re asking for immediate oversight to:

• Halt the pending foreclosure until a verified accounting is produced
• Re-examine the Department of Commerce’s failure to act despite clear evidence of elder exploitation; and
• Safeguard other Minnesota seniors from similar financial and institutional abuse.
• Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison, please stand with families like ours and ensure this never happens to another Minnesota elder.

✊ What We’re Asking

We call on:

• The Washington County Attorney to consider charges
• The MN Department of Commerce to investigate the actions of both  Blaze Credit Union and Hartford Insurance
• Minnesota legislators to pass Financial Elder Abuse legislation
• The public to recognize how spiritual and financial trust were weaponized

We also call on Congress to explore and adopt national legislation sepcifically targeting financial elder abuse-including protections for seniors manipulated by trusted spiritual or community leaders.  This type of exploitation thrives in silence.  It's time for federal action that holds both individuals and institutions accountable.

  Help Us Fight Back

We’re fighting to recover the family home, cover legal costs, and hold all parties accountable. Please donate or share:
👉 GoFundMe: Help Restore Grandmother’s Home and Seek Justice

  Want to see the full story?

You can now read the detailed timeline, supporting documents, and breakdown of what really happened in:

 👉“The Church Took Her Trust—But the Bank, Insurer, and Police Took Her Justice” Please read and share—it sheds light on how institutions failed this elderly preacher’s wife at every turn.
Cecelia Jenkins deserved better. So do all our elders.

Please sign this petition and help us seek accountability — for Cecelia, and for all families like ours.

We believe Cecelia’s story isn’t isolated — and that’s why we’re calling for both state and national action to protect vulnerable elders across the country.

—
Saran Crayton
Daughter & Executor of the Estate of Cecelia Jenkins

 
⚠️ Legal Disclaimer

All statements made in this petition are based on documented experiences, public records, and complaints filed in good faith with relevant state and regulatory authorities. This petition is not intended to assert legal conclusions or defame any individual or organization.

We call for a formal investigation and accountability based on the facts presented.