A United States pastor, Dale Sanders, has been convicted of stealing more than $340,000 from two churches in Louisiana to finance gambling and other personal expenses, following a federal criminal trial.
The 56-year-old was found guilty by a jury on 25 counts, including wire fraud, access device fraud and obstruction of a federal investigation, after a five-day trial presided over by US District Judge Brandon S. Long.
The conviction was announced by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana in a statement obtained by PUNCH Online on Thursday from the website of the US Department of Justice.
According to prosecutors, Sanders “defrauded Church A and Church B in order to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises.”
Investigators said Sanders transferred money from one of the churches’ bank accounts into accounts under his control and used the funds for personal spending.
The statement read, “SANDERS would withdraw funds and transfer money held in Church A’s bank accounts to accounts controlled by SANDERS. The money was used to fund his personal expenditures, to include gambling, dining, and living expenses.”
US Pastor Faces Up to 20 Years in Prison
Authorities further disclosed that Sanders improperly used a church-issued debit card to pay for personal expenses.
It added that Sanders “utilized Church A’s debit card for unauthorized personal transactions and received cash, goods and services totaling over $340,000 that he was not entitled to.”
In addition to the fraud-related offences, the jury also found Sanders guilty of obstructing a federal investigation.
The statement read, “SANDERS was also found guilty of obstruction of a federal investigation for providing a falsified record in response to a grand jury subpoena.”
Judge Brandon S. Long has scheduled Sanders’ sentencing for October 13, 2026.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Sanders faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss, up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment, and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee for each count.
US Attorney David I. Courcelle commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Orleans Field Office for investigating the case, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn McHugh and Tracey Knight of the Financial Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
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