AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The founder and leader of House of Prayer Christian Churches, “Rony Denis,” was denied bond during a detention hearing on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.

This decision was made by Magistrate Judge Brian Epps of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, opting not to grant bond to the pastor, whose church organization is currently under an FBI investigation nationwide.

As a result, Denis will remained in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending trial.

The hearing for Denis, whose name “Rony Denis” is suspected by federal authorities to be a stolen identity allegedly acquired in 1983, took nearly three hours on Friday, concluding after 2 p.m.

There were nine exhibits brought before the bench between both government prosecutors and Denis’ legal team Friday morning.

Denis’ detention hearing was held separately from other church leaders charged in the federal case.  

Earlier this week, six defendants involved in an ongoing federal criminal investigation into alleged illegal activities by the heads of the House of Prayer Christian Churches appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Epps in the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Augusta. These leaders were granted bond, but had to comply with specific conditions, including no communication or contact with other church members and their families, as prerequisites for their release.

Defendants in court Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, included Omar Garcia, Marcus Labat, David Reip, Gerard Robertson, Dennis Nostrant, and Joseph Fryar.

They are facing charges related to various alleged fraudulent activities and tax violations. Of those in court earlier this week, five were from the Hinesville, GA, region. The other, Omar Garcia, 40, residing in Palm Bay, Florida, is charged with Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.

Denis owned a home in Martinez, Ga. where he was arrested during a raid earlier in September. He also had residences in Hinesville and Palm Beach.

Investigators are still trying to find out more about Denis’ true identity and origin. He first became a U.S. citizen in 2002.