Dale Sanders, a 56-year-old pastor and author from Louisiana, United States, has been found guilty of stealing more than $340,000 from two churches where he ministered, using the funds to finance gambling and other personal expenses.
The conviction followed a five-day federal jury trial in which Sanders was found guilty on a 25-count indictment bordering on wire fraud, access device fraud and obstruction of a federal investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Prosecutors said Sanders, a resident of Kenner, diverted money from church bank accounts for personal use, spending it on gambling, dining, living expenses and other unrelated activities.
Authorities also alleged that he used a church-issued debit card to make unauthorized purchases and fraudulently obtained cash, goods and services worth more than $340,000 between April 2020 and April 2024.
According to his social media profiles, Sanders served as pastor of Fifth African Baptist Church in New Orleans and Second New Guide Missionary Baptist Church in Metairie.
Investigators further accused him of submitting a falsified document in response to a federal grand jury subpoena during the course of the investigation.
Following his indictment in April, Sanders released a video on social media asking members of his congregation to pray for him and what he described as his “enemy.”Beyond his pastoral ministry, Sanders authored Strut Your Stutter, a book encouraging readers to embrace themselves despite personal challenges.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13 and faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release after serving his sentence, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 for each count.
