Taylor had been in town for business. While he was scheduled to fly back to Kansas on Oct. 4, law enforcement officials worked quickly to arrest him before his flight.
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Taylor remains in custody and is set to appear again in court on Nov. 6.
It appears that Taylor is the father of Ephren Taylor Jr., who in 2015 was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for defrauding hundreds of investors out of almost $16 million.
The younger Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, admitting to masterminding a Ponzi scheme that largely targeted Black churchgoers. Taylor bilked many of the victims of their entire life savings.
Ephren Taylor Jr.’s son, Ephren Taylor III, is currently running for the Kansas state senate and says visiting his father in prison opened his eyes to the realities of systemic racism in institutions.
Ephren Taylor Sr. is being held without bail in Utah. Judge Anthony Howell denied bail after arguing that Taylor was both a flight risk and potential danger to the community.
ChurchLeaders has reached out to Johnson County Church of Christ for comment and will update this article in the event of a response.
