Pastor Greg Locke says his home was stormed before sunrise by dozens of federal agents as an investigation into his finances and Global Vision Bible Church continues to unfold.
Locke told his Tennessee congregation that roughly 50 to 60 federal agents surrounded his home around 6 a.m., used a battering ram to enter and spent about three hours executing search warrants. According to Locke, agents served one warrant for his home, another for Locke Media and a subpoena involving the church.
The raid came during an already devastating season for Locke and his wife, Tai, following the May death of their 20-year-old son, Evan, from a drug overdose.
Locke also claimed the investigation has reached deeply into the church's finances. He said federal authorities subpoenaed bank records and that the church subsequently lost access to its bank accounts.
"Two weeks ago, we went to conduct our normal business and because the government had subpoenaed the records from our banks, the bank said, 'Sorry, all of your accounts are canceled immediately,'" Locke told the congregation.
So far, no criminal charges have been filed against Locke or his wife. Locke has said investigators are examining financial records dating back to 2020 and that the probe has been underway for roughly two years.
He also claimed investigators have subpoenaed numerous people and said authorities were examining allegations involving serious wrongdoing, including claims about child trafficking. Those allegations have not resulted in public criminal charges against Locke.
The FBI's Nashville Field Office has said it was not involved in the raid, while Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan previously confirmed that the IRS was involved. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee has declined to discuss what it described as a potential ongoing investigation.
That silence leaves plenty of unanswered questions.
Was the raid tied to a criminal tax investigation? Did a former employee or church member provide information to authorities? What exactly were agents looking for inside Locke's home and business records?
For now, federal officials aren't saying.
Locke, however, is making one thing very clear: this is no routine paperwork dispute.
A pre-dawn raid, battering ram, dozens of agents, seized financial records and canceled bank accounts have turned the investigation into one of the most dramatic chapters yet for the outspoken pastor.
And until federal prosecutors either file charges or close the case, the biggest question remains unanswered: What exactly are they investigating Greg Locke for?
