The case against the father-son scam artists that targeted local church congregations is growing.

Travis Terrell Twitty and his father, David Twitty, are now facing 46 charges of obtaining property by false pretense in Moore County. Until this week, the Twittys only faced one charge of obtaining property by false pretense in the county.

And how they went about obtaining that property. The duo would prey on church congregations, something they've allegedly been doing for at least 12 years, by entering a sanctuary during a service and pleading for assistance, claiming to be stranded for one reason or another. Here in Moore County in early March, they allegedly asserted that a family member had been killed in a car wreck and they were in dire need of money.

Capt. Jeff Medlin with the Moore County Sheriff's Department had asked at the time that more people scammed by the Twittys to come forward. In a story from March 25, published in The Pilot, Medlin said, "People need to look out for each other and not stand on the sideline. Further on down the line, other people are going to be hurt by this guy."

Evidently, people responded, resulting in the additional 45 charges being lodged against both Twittys.

Travis Twitty, 20, is in the Moore County Detention Center, with his bail set at $100,000. The additional charges were lodged against him today. His father, 43, had the additional charges filed earlier this week. The Twittys were originally arrested by Charlotte police in late March, the city in which they make their home.

After publicity, investigators with the Moore County Sheriff's Office received information from at least 10 counties in North Carolina that had allegedly been victimized by the duo, including one church in Wake County that reported it was approached by the Twittys more than 18 months ago. In a release from the United Methodist News Service that was dated from 1997, it is described how the Twittys operate. The Twittys were accused of scamming churches in Georgia at the time. Churches from South Carolina and Virginia have also reported dealings with the Twittys.

Det. Kip Dennis of the Moore County Sheriff's Office said today that a church in Galax, Va., had supplied some helpful information for the investigation. Now, the Moore County Sheriff's Department is offering to help any other area where the Twittys have allegedly pulled their scams.

"We are happy that the additional people came forward (here)," Dennis said today. "We are offering our assistance to any other agencies. We are willing to work with everyone (other law enforcement agencies) we can."