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(WHAS11) - Once again members of a controversial church are asking local residents for their hard earned money at intersections.
WHAS11 first told you about New Life Church in February.
The local church is part of a Florida-based operation, which is the only church ever prosecuted for federal crimes in US history.
In February, we told you that New Life Church could only solicit at intersections in Metro Louisville up to 20 days a year and had to receive permits from the Inspections, License and Permits Department.
We saw them out on Thursday collecting, so we checked with IPL and discovered they had no permit with Louisville Metro.
But it appears they have found a loophole within the city of St. Matthews.
The bucket-holding solicitors of New Life Church weren't happy to WHAS11.
When we first introduced you to the group, WHAS11 told you how we discovered that homeless church members are often driven from town to town soliciting on behalf of Melvin Jefferson.
Jefferson, who calls himself a bishop, owns millions of dollars in property in Florida, as well as fancy cars, jewelry and even a plane.
We found his right-hand man, Pastor Cary Fulks, carrying a bucket on Thursday.
Cary moved to Louisville after being arrested for drug trafficking and gun charges. He was also convicted of food stamp fraud.
Now he's collecting thousands of dollars from the generous people of Louisville.
Louisville Mayor's Spokesperson Chris Poynter told WHAS11 earlier this year that the city regulates their solicitations.
He said that they have to report what intersection they're going to be in at what time and what day.
When we verified New Life Church had no Louisville Metro permit Thursday, we called police, but they never came.
"This group has been cited by police numerous times. They have paid fines for illegally collecting at intersections when they shouldn't be, so they don't have a stellar record," says Poynter.
On Friday, WHAS11 discovered New Life Church did have permission to collect at Breckinridge and Dutchman's Lane.
Even though the intersection is one of the busiest in Jefferson County, St. Matthews police say they're in charge of issuing permits there, not Metro Louisville, and they say they gave New Life Church permission to collect there Thursday and Friday.
While Louisville Metro will only allow bucket collections 20 days a year per group, no one from the city of St. Matthews could tell WHAS11 what the rules allowed there.
The police chief was out of town and unavailable for comment.
The County Attorney's Office says the ability to permit is based on state rules, depending on the class of city in Kentucky, so St. Matthews is within its rights to set up its own system.
If it's easier to get a permit there, there's a strong likelihood that New Life Church will keep coming back.
