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San Diego Bishop's wife among victims of doctor's deadly scam

A San Diego bishop's wife was among the victims of an ex-doctor's deadly scam.

SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - A San Diego bishop's wife was among the victims of an ex-doctor's deadly scam.

But Friday, he's speaking of forgiveness, as Christine Daniel is sentenced to more than a decade behind bars.

"What a tragedy. The love of money continues to be the root of so many evils," Bishop George McKinney tells News 8.

Christine Daniel bilked patients out of more than $1 million, promising them an herbal supplement could cure late-stage cancer and other diseases.

Local Bishop George McKinney has gone through a gauntlet of emotions since his wife Jean passed away and a fraudulent doctor took his hope and money.

Now, almost 10 years later, that doctor's sentencing only forces him to revisit the tragedy.

"It was all a sham, it was all a hoax."

In a 1992 interview with News 8's Larry Himmel, she tours the school inside her husband's St. Stephen's Church of God.

"We try to touch children's lives...show them there's another way."

But in 2003 her colon cancer was spreading. The couple was desperate and out of options.

"We prayerfully sought alternatives approaches that might bring some hope."

Hope brought them to Christine Daniel, a Los Angeles doctor and minister.

"We spent the first hour on our initial visit praying on our knees and of course that impressed me."

She promised the McKinneys an alternative medicine made from exotic ingredients.

"Very bitter, very difficult to take."

Even worse to take was the findings of a federal investigation into Dr. Daniel.

Soon after Jean passed away in 2004, McKinney learned the $100,000 medicine was merely suntan lotion and beef flavoring.

"We were very disappointed that the concoction was made up of ingredients from the local drug store."

Daniel will now spend 14 years in federal prison for misleading the Mckinneys, and at least 55 other families.

Nine years later, McKinney isn't vengeful. Only prayerful.

"I'm not angry at her now. She's forgiven and I want her to be made whole."

Daniel's conviction is for mail and a wire fraud, tax evasion and witness tampering. She was not convicted for playing a role in anyone's death.

Prosecutors laid out evidence showing many of her patients died within three to six months after taking the deceptive cure.

A federal judge also ordered Daniel to pay back nearly $1.2 million to the affected families.

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