Springfield Based Christian Ministry GO:61 Caught Hiding Information And Dodging Questions

by Bon Tindle

10-22-2015

Recently, several concerns have been voiced about the ministry/charity GO:61. After many questions have been left unanswered and an invitation for an interview were declined, there seems to be little to counter the suspicions that have been voiced by Springfield citizens.

The former Casey LaJean Bennett with Husband and Vice President of GO:61 Luis Alvarez
Source: Liberty Conference

A background check revealed that under her maiden name, director Casey Alvarez has been brought up on charges for passing bad checks, and had multiple failure to appear warrants issued.  She has also pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges and her children were protected from her for two years. Again, multiple warrants for failure to appear were issued.

The abandoned apartment where GO:61 is supposed to be run out of, according to paperwork filed
with the Missouri Secretary of State's office.  Source: Bon Tindel

Alvarez has been unavailable for comment. Efforts to request financial records were roadblocked when a visit to the address on file was an abandoned apartment that had not been occupied “in months” according to personnel. Further questioning also revealed that the director’s name had never been listed as a tenant, though the director has mentioned running operations from her home.  The IRS states that any charity must present its financial information for public inspection. The other address listed is a UPS store where the charity has a rented box for correspondence.

City Council Member Justin Burnett.
Source: City of Springfield

Brought to the forefront by a controversial councilman who endorsed the charity, claims were immediately alarming… and difficult to prove. Media circulated by GO:61 has stated there were nearly 600 Springfield victims for sale for sex in September of 2015. A website that functions much like Craigslist but for sexual favors has been their most widely relied upon source for these numbers. The site is completely anonymous, and there is simply not enough proof to say people can be “ordered like a pizza.” To demonstrate their objectivity, GO:61 said they took fifty off the total to account for repeat ads.

A task force has been created in Missouri recently, pulling from specialists and veterans in law enforcement. Their goal is to find ways to measure the problem and make recommendations based on the results. The chief problem cited is a lack of data. This has led to questions about the numbers supplied by GO:61 themselves, if the law enforcement professionals say that there isn’t any. 

Other concerns come from the practices of the group. Identifying victims and criminals is dangerous work, and puts volunteers in mortal danger, if one is to believe the dangers discussed by GO:61. One story posted by Casey Alvarez states that she met a young boy at a bus stop. The story concludes with her leaving him behind, without a call to the police or any intervention on her part. According to Alvarez, she has been looking for the boy ever since, to no avail.  This utter lack of professionalism and forethought has caused some to wonder if this is a grossly negligent operation. 

More updates will follow as soon as more details become available.

About Bon Tindle
Bon Tindle is a writer from Springfield, MO. You can reach her through her site, www.bontindle.com.