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INVESTIGATIVE UNIT: Convicted scammer reportedly back at it again, and back behind bars
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BATON ROUGE - A convicted scammer who has been swindling people for nearly a decade is back behind bars and possibly back at his old tricks.
Donald Batiste has been the subject of several WBRZ Investigative Unit reports dating back to 2015. He was featured on ABC's Nightline when he was caught operating an illegal tax business in Baton Rouge.
In 2019, the Investigative Unit tracked him down working at an unlicensed credit repair shop. We haven't heard from him since then because he was sentenced to 10 years in prison shortly after, but he's been out on parole since 2021, and back at his schemes.
Seemingly unable to continue his business in Baton Rouge, Batiste went all the way to Augusta, Georgia in November 2023.
Carolyn Grace attended his seminar where he promised to help get her and her daughter's businesses up and running for $3,000.
"He was supposed to make me a website page. He was supposed to get me clients," she said.
Grace says not only did he never do anything, but he stopped returning her calls and texts when she asked for her money back. Besides herself, Grace says she knows seven others who attended the conference and feel they were scammed and tricked by Batiste.
"He did bring other people with him that does business also, you know helps to get the business up and running. His mother was one of them that came."
Batiste was out until September when he was taken into custody on a warrant for violating his bond conditions. Court documents said he was not keeping his ankle monitor charged, answering phone calls or making payments.
Before he was taken into custody, Batiste posted multiple times per day on social media advertising workshops to repair credit and build wealth. He claims he is an author, speaker, financial coach, business credit expert and entrepreneur.
Batiste also claims to be an ordained senior pastor at God First Ministries, which operates out of a home owned by his mother. Grace says all of his claims looked good on paper, and she did not know about his legal troubles back in Louisiana until it was too late.
"I think he should pay restitution back to all of us and go to prison because that's scamming."
Batiste operates under several different organizations and websites including wealthuniversityfunding.com, 1000funded.com, and financialwealthuniversity.net to name a few. He sells two books written by 'Dr. D Millionaire' and claims he owns a publishing company called 'Best Publishing Company.' Batiste said he's been given keys to the city and been made honorary mayor-president.
Batiste has traveled to schools and given presentations through his youth organization 'Kids to CEO's,' despite awaiting trial for charges of first-degree rape and sexual battery of a child under 13 from 2017. He is scheduled to be in court next month.
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