The former office of Queen City Investment Funds Inc.

Steve Watkins
Staff Reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

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The man listed as Glen Galemmo’s business partner in a lawsuit that names both as defendants accusing them of orchestrating “an elaborate Ponzi scheme” was a pastor at a Cincinnati-area church.

Edward Blackledge listed himself as pastor of UrbanHills Church in Anderson Township last year on his LinkedIn profile. The events coordinator at Anderson Center, where UrbanHills held services last year, said Blackledge has enlisted in the military and she doesn’t know how to reach him. Anderson Center listed UrbanHills services on its events calendar on Sundays through the end of last year.

Blackledge also posted on his LinkedIn profile that he was vice president of Queen City Investment Funds Inc. in 2001 and 2002. That’s Galemmo’s firm that was sued by investors on July 20 in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, claiming they lost tens of millions of dollars. Galemmo and Blackledge are both named as defendants in the suit, along with a dozen investment entities.

Blackledge couldn’t be reached for comment.

Galemmo also couldn’t be reached for comment, and the security guard at his office referred questions to Internal Revenue Service Special Agent Beth Shorten. Shorten didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.

Galemmo sent an email on July 17 to his clients telling them that as of that date “Queen City Investments will no longer be in operation,” asking them not to come to the office and directing them to contact Shorten with the IRS, according to an affidavit filed in court.

Watkins covers banking and finance, insurance and sports business