A Louisiana pastor and author, Dale Sanders, has been convicted of stealing more than $340,000 from church accounts to fund gambling and personal expenses.
Sanders, 56, was found guilty on a 25-count indictment bordering on wire fraud, access device fraud and obstruction of a federal investigation after a five-day jury trial last week, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Prosecutors said Sanders withdrew funds from one of the churches’ bank accounts and transferred the money into his personal account, where it was used to finance gambling, dining and other living expenses.
The convict served as pastor of the Fifth African Baptist Church in New Orleans and the Second New Guide Missionary Baptist Church in Metairie, according to information on his social media pages.
Investigators also found that he used a church debit card for unauthorised personal transactions and obtained cash, goods and services worth more than $340,000.
According to the indictment, the fraudulent activities took place between April 2020 and April 2024.
Prosecutors further stated that Sanders submitted a falsified record in response to a grand jury subpoena during the federal investigation.
Following his indictment in April, Sanders appealed to members of his congregation through a video posted on his social media accounts, asking them to pray for him and also pray for those he described as his enemies.
He appreciated church members for their prayers, phone calls, text messages and personal encouragement, saying he could feel their prayers and believed God was already working on his behalf.
Sanders also urged them to pray a Matthew 5:44 prayer for his enemies, expressing confidence that God would not only bless him but also deal with those he believed had wronged him.
The pastor regularly shared sermon videos and musical performances from church services on his social media platforms.
He is also the author of the book, Strut Your Stutter, which encourages people to embrace themselves and take pride in who they are.
Sanders faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release after serving his prison term, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 on each count.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13.
