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Pastor convicted of stealing over $340K from two churches over a four year period.
Dale Sanders, 56, of Kenner, was found guilty last week on 25 counts of wire fraud, access device fraud and obstruction of a federal investigation following a five-day jury trial.
The convicted pastor faces up to 20 years behind bars with sentencing scheduled for October.
NEW ORLEANS (Gambling911.com) -- A New Orleans, Louisiana pastor who built an online following with upbeat sermons and a self-help book has been convicted of stealing more than $340,000 from two churches between 2020 and 2024 to fund gambling and lavish personal expenses, according to federal prosecutors.
Dale Sanders, 56, of Kenner, was found guilty last week on 25 counts of wire fraud, access device fraud and obstruction of a federal investigation following a five-day jury trial in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Prosecutors alleged he 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. Sanders was also found guilty of obstruction of a federal investigation for providing a falsified record in response to a grand jury subpoena.
Sanders is from the New Orleans area and is the son of Rev. Leroy Sanders Sr., himself a longtime Baptist pastor. Much of Dale Sanders' ministry was rooted in that family legacy, and he often referenced his father's influence in sermons and writings.
By the early 2020s, Sanders served as pastor of both Fifth African Baptist Church in New Orleans and Second New Guide Missionary Baptist Church in Metairie. Leading two congregations simultaneously gave him a substantial profile within the local Baptist community.
He would go on to become a motivational speaker and and author whose books included "Termites in the Church" and "Strut Your Stutter"
"Termites in the Church" suggests the apple might not fall far from the tree as the book tells the story of his father, who "experienced the carnal instruments of Church Folks' warfare firsthand" after he, too, was accused of stealing from the church he has pastored for more than forty years, arrested by the St. John The Baptist Parish Sheriff's Department, and dragged through a two-year court battle.
The younger Sanders fate will be determined on October 13, when he is scheduled for sentencing. Sanders faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
