Ocoee pastor accused of forging former church member's life insurance policy

An Ocoee pastor is facing felony charges after he allegedly used the help of a licensed insurance agent to forge a former congregant's life insurance policy. 

Gary Wheeler, pastor of Changing Your World Church at 101 S. Clarke Road, Ocoee, and insurance agent Katrina Ann Phillips are accused of fraudulently using a woman's identity to obtain her life insurance policy.

The victim told investigators that Wheeler had served as her pastor at a church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she resides, but she never has lived in Florida. 

Investigators say the policy named Wheeler as the sole beneficiary of the more than $100,000 policy and was maintained with payments he made over the course of more than a year. 

The Florida Department of Financial Services said the policy was created without the victim’s knowledge. 

According to investigators, both Wheeler and Phillips admitted their involvement but had conflicting explanations. 

Wheeler is facing three felony charges: scheming to defraud, filing a false and fraudulent insurance application, and criminal use of personal identification information.