Johnson v. Church of the Open Door

Dickinson, Judge.

INTRODUCTION

{¶ 1} Gary McNaughton conned Rich and Trina Johnson out of over a million dollars by convincing them to invest in a Ponzi scheme and cosign on a commercial loan. The Johnsons sued, among others, Pastor Tim Guenther and the Church of the Open Door (the “Church”) because they introduced the Johnsons to McNaughton and recommended investing with him. The trial court granted Guenther and the Church summary judgment. Because the Johnsons were not justified in relying on what Guenther told them about McNaughton’s program, this court affirms the trial court’s judgment on…