Million dollar cult operating in rural Alabama

I just wanted to bring this to everyone's attention because A) its in my neck of the woods and B) its an extremely under-reported story, even in my area.

The Community of Caritas is a group centered around a reported Virgin Mary sighting in 1988. This took place in Sterret, Alabama, a rural community about 30 minutes from Birmingham, Alabama's largest city. The vision appeared to Marija Pavlovic Lunetti and has returned as recently as last month to speak to her again. Info on the most recent vision

On the television news reports, the most you'll usually hear about Caritas is related to the traffic problems that the visitors to the site cause around religious holidays. However, by reading the papers and doing a little research I was able to follow up on some rumors that have been circulating through our state. For starters, the group is under investigation for possible charity fraud for the alleged $6 million US in assets that it has. Actual reported earnings are around the $1 million mark.

There are also assertions that the group is really a cult. There is currently a lawsuit pending accusing the group of false imprisonment, undue influence and fraud. Rumors are circulating that are much sinister however. Former members recently gave a radio interview on a local station claiming physical abuse and rapes occuring at the compound (these are unconfirmed). Most alarming is the fact that one former member and former FBI agent involved in the lawsuit again Caritas was killed in a mysterious plane crash at a small, local airport. The circumstances surrounding the crash are currently under investigation as well.

More info:
The Rick Ross Institute's Caritas of Birmingham Page