Isaac Osei Afoakwa has been accused in state and federal court of defrauding public assistance programs. (Courtesy of Burleigh Morton Detention Center)
BISMARCK, ND — Federal prosecutors say a Bismarck man who is a self-employed pastor and entrepreneur is accused of stealing about $1.6 million from the government.
This indictment from the United States District Court details two different types of fraud that prosecutors say Issac Afoakwa committed against the government.
The first involved the two types of federal loans, which the man received, totaling to $1.6 million. One is called the Paycheck Protection Program. It started during COVID-19 and was designed to help small businesses maintain their payrolls during that time. The indictment reads that the man applied for loans for six different companies.
He also received money for eight Economic Injury Disaster loans.
The second part of the indictment accuses Afoakwa of billing Medicaid for transportation rides that no one took.
He ran a company called Bismarck Transportation Services.
The indictment reads that he made “numerous materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements or representations to North Dakota Medicaid.”
The billing cost the state’s Medicaid program about $100,000.
LEAWOOD, KN — The former priest of Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood has been arrested by Leawood police on suspicion of stealing $160,000.
Father Richard Storey resigned from his position at Curé of Ars in September 2025 after Prairie Village police began investigating allegations involving him and an adult victim. Neither the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas nor the Prairie Village Police Department has released details on these allegations.
Following Storey’s resignation, the archdiocese said it launched a review of the financial records at Curé of Ars because that is standard protocol when parish leadership changes. However, the staff found something was amiss with the records and contacted the Leawood Police Department.
Police arrested Storey on Saturday morning on a felony charge. The archdiocese said it is fully cooperating with law enforcement and will not release any further information on this investigation for now.
Storey has since been charged with theft of property or servicesworth more than $100,000 in Johnson County. Charging documents in the case say the theft happened between Jan. 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2025.
In a statement, Archbishop Shawn McKnight wrote, “This news is deeply painful for all of us in the Catholic Community, particularly given the nature of the allegations involving resources entrusted to the Church through the sacrifice and generosity of the faithful.”
McKnight goes on to say, “These allegations are serious, the legal processes must be allowed to proceed, and Father Storey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law or internal canonical process.”
Curé of Ars said it will file an insurance claim to recover the lost money.
Storey celebrated his last Mass on Sept. 14, 2022, and was suspended six days later.
He resigned after Prairie Village police announced a criminal investigation involving him and one other adult.
Storey previously served at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Osage City, Kansas, and Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Overland Park.
Storey’s first court appearance was initially scheduled for Tuesday, May 26. It has been moved to June 2 at 1:30 p.m.
GREENVILLE COUNTY, SC — The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Unit has arrested a woman who served as the director of an Upstate Christian school for stealing thousands from a church.
Deputies said that 45-year-old Tyler McGatha was charged with breach of trust greater than $10,000 following an investigation into alleged financial misconduct involving Covenant Church Academy, located at 1310 Old Spartanburg Road in Greer. McGatha was charged Tuesday and released after posting a $10,000 bond.
According to officials, the investigation began in November 2025 after church leadership contacted the sheriff’s office with concerns that McGatha, who served as the director of Covenant Church Academy, may have been taking money from the church. During the investigation, the church also conducted a forensic audit.
Investigators determined that McGatha had manipulated payroll records by crediting at least two part-time employees with more hours than they actually worked, resulting in overpayment from school funds. According to a warrant, McGatha did this between January 2019 and August 2025.
Officials said that investigators found McGatha accepted cash payments from new enrollees in exchange for guaranteeing placement into the school and believe she kept the money for personal use rather than depositing it with the organization.
Investigators discovered McGatha used the church’s credit card to make personal purchases, according to deputies.
Covenant Church and Covenant Christian Academy gave the following statement in regards to McGatha’s arrest:
“Covenant Church and Covenant Christian Academy are heartbroken by the breach of financial trust that has impacted our church and school community.
After concerns arose regarding the handling and management of Covenant Christian Academy financial operations and accounts, church leadership took action to review the situation, sought professional assistance to investigate the allegations thoroughly and turned the findings over to law enforcement. The matter is now in the legal system.
Throughout this difficult process, our heart has remained with the students, families, teachers, and staff who make Covenant Christian Academy such a special place. We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support, prayers, and encouragement from our church and school community.
While we cannot comment further due to the active legal matter, we remain committed to integrity, accountability, and the continued mission of Covenant Church and Covenant Christian Academy.”
Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Buffalo, NY, where a former priest was charged with bank fraud. Credit: Buffalo Rising
BUFFALO, NY — A former priest at an Upstate New York church faces federal bank fraud charges after allegedly stealing approximately $450,000 from a fund intended to help people in need, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced Tuesday.
Christos Christakis, 57, of Cincinnati, was charged by criminal complaint with bank fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Christakis served as a priest at the Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Buffalo beginning in March 2007. In 2011, he inserted a provision into the church’s bylaws that gave him complete control over the Priest Discretionary Fund, according to the complaint.
The fund operates similarly to a petty cash account, allowing priests to provide small direct assistance payments and financial support to those in need. The parish council typically oversees such funds with limits on balances, usually less than $1,500 at any given time.
A whistleblower complaint filed in March 2025 with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America about financial irregularities at the church prompted an internal investigation. During that investigation, Christakis admitted to using parish funds for his own personal benefit between 2018 and 2025.
Federal investigators analyzed the discretionary fund and found that between January 2018 and July 31, 2025, approximately 725 checks were deposited into the account. Only 11 of those checks were specifically designated as donations to the fund. At least one $7,000 check was written from the fund to pay Christakis’s personal American Express bill, according to the complaint.
Investigators also examined Christakis’s personal bank account, which he held jointly with his spouse, along with his children’s accounts. They compared cash deposits in those accounts to the timing and amounts of cash withdrawals from the discretionary fund.
The analysis found approximately $338,660 in cash deposited into the joint account. Christakis’ and his spouse’s known employment and lifestyle would not have generated this level of cash, according to investigators.
A separate analysis of spending levels and bank accounts showed that non-cash sources of income were insufficient to support the family’s lifestyle. Once cash deposits were added to their budget, the joint account was able to break even each year.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
Larry and Sharon Cook pictured in a service at their Real Believers Faith Center posted on YouTube
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Husband/wife team allegedly bilked own church and nonprofit.
$2,784 for shoes. $71,342 for restaurants. $169,462 for travel.
These are just some of the ways the husband and wife co-pastors of a Minnesota church used charitable assets as their “personal piggy banks,” state prosecutors claim.
In a complaint filed April 2 by the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison Larry, Pastors Larry and Sharon Cook have been accused of misusing more than $2 million over a nearly 6-year period. The couple allegedly took the money from Real Believers Faith Center as well as a separate nonprofit, Les Jolies School of Dance, for personal use.
“This Complaint exposes brazen and systematic abuse in Minnesota’s charitable sector, where nonprofit organizations intended to serve the public good were instead exploited as personal piggy banks by those entrusted to protect them,” the complaint alleges. The Attorney General’s Office also filed a temporary restraining order to “protect nonprofit assets from being diverted and concealed when the defendants learned of the lawsuit.”
The Cooks face multiple charges, including breach of nonprofit director and other fiduciary duties under the Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation Act, and breach of trust. The church, dance school, and multiple other officers of those organizations also face prosecution.
“The breadth of wrongdoing is staggering: at least $2 million in nonprofit assets was siphoned through cash withdrawals, CashApp payments, and pledged as collateral for risky loans that served no charitable purpose,” the complaint states. “Defendants not only misused charitable funds, but they operated without basic governance safeguards, failed to maintain tax-exempt status, failed to maintain registration with the [attorney general’s office], and dissolved a nonprofit mid-investigation without the legally required notice to the AGO in an attempt to evade oversight.”
Prosecutors argue the Cooks obscured the source of their wealth by posing as successful entrepreneurs running multiple profitable businesses — a claim they say was false. For example, in 2022, Real Believers Faith Center reported the purchase of a gas station it renamed the Lion’s Den. However, according to the complaint, the purchase never occurred.
“The Defendants concealed their misconduct through sham governance and by creating deliberate confusion between nonprofit and for-profit entities,” the filing claims. “This pattern of deception and self-dealing strikes at the heart of public trust in charitable organizations.”
LAS CRUCES, NM — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces has removed Father Christopher Williams from all ministerial duties and suspended him as pastor of the Basilica of San Albino in Mesilla, New Mexico, following his alleged involvement in a major records theft, according to a letter issued to parishioners.
In the letter dated May 8, Bishop Peter Baldacchino informed church members that the Diocese is limited in what it can disclose due to ongoing civil and canonical investigations.
However, he confirmed that the situation stems from a September 2025 incident in which more than 60,000 private diocesan records were stolen.
Church officials reported the breach to civil authorities at the time and launched an internal investigation. According to the Diocese, further findings emerged during a civil effort to recover the stolen records, revealing alleged involvement by Father Williams and certain employees connected to the Basilica.
The letter states that the theft reportedly took place at the residence of a leader associated with a group referred to as the “Voice of the Laity.”
Testimony cited by the Diocese claims that Father Williams directed individuals to obtain diocesan financial records and that the stolen data was downloaded onto a storage device supplied by the group’s leader before being turned over to him.
Diocesan officials say these actions exposed the Diocese and its parishes to significant risks, including potential financial misappropriation.
The letter also alleges that Father Williams was aware of the theft but did not report it to church leadership or law enforcement.
Following notification of these developments, the diocesan Finance Council recommended Father Williams’ immediate removal from his role. The Diocese has since referred the matter to law enforcement and initiated its own canonical proceedings. Officials noted that the involvement of additional individuals remains under investigation.
Bishop Baldacchino acknowledged the distress the news may cause parishioners, expressing disappointment and emphasizing the Diocese’s responsibility to act as “diligent stewards.”
In the interim, Father Michael Williams—brother of Father Christopher Williams—has stepped in to serve the parish community.
Testimony cited by the Diocese claims that Father Williams directed individuals to obtain diocesan financial records and that the stolen data was downloaded onto a storage device supplied by the group’s leader before being turned over to him.
Diocesan officials say these actions exposed the Diocese and its parishes to significant risks, including potential financial misappropriation.
The letter also alleges that Father Williams was aware of the theft but did not report it to church leadership or law enforcement.
Following notification of these developments, the diocesan Finance Council recommended Father Williams’ immediate removal from his role. The Diocese has since referred the matter to law enforcement and initiated its own canonical proceedings. Officials noted that the involvement of additional individuals remains under investigation.
Bishop Baldacchino acknowledged the distress the news may cause parishioners, expressing disappointment and emphasizing the Diocese’s responsibility to act as “diligent stewards.”
In the interim, Father Michael Williams—brother of Father Christopher Williams—has stepped in to serve the parish community.
Dale Sanders, Louisiana pastor charged with embezzlement
NEW ORLEANS, LA — A Louisiana pastor is facing an 11-count indictment after being accused of embezzling $343,293.00 from an unnamed company.
The district attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Louisiana said in a press release on Tuesday (April 28) that Dale Sanders could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that Sanders, 56, is accused of using “an unauthorized access device, specifically the debit card for Company A’s bank account [to obtain] U.S. currency of approximately $343,293.00.”
The alleged crimes are said to have occurred between April 2020 and April 2024.
If convicted, Sanders could face a $250,000 fine in addition to a prison sentence. He could also be subject to three years of supervised release after serving a prison term.
The FBI led the investigation.
On Wednesday, Sanders posted a video to social media thanking everyone who had been “calling, texting, seeing me in person, and telling me that you’re praying for me.”
“And believe this,” said Sanders, “I feel your prayers. God is already working and moving by his Spirit.”
“This is what you can do for me—I know you’re praying for me. But I need you to pray a Matthew 5:44 prayer. I need you to pray for my enemy,” said Sanders.
“Please, hear me. This is not a joke,” he added. “I need you to pray for my enemy.”
“The Bible says, ‘Pray for them that despitefully use you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my namesake,’” Sanders continued. “If you pray for my enemy, God will not only bless me, but he will deal with them.”
“That’s it. Blessings on you,” he concluded. “Have a wonderful day.”
ChurchLeaders has reached out to Dale Sanders for comment and will update this article in the event of a response.
BARNHART, MO — A former employee of a Missouri church has been accused of embezzling thousands of dollars by writing unauthorized checks and has been ordered to appear in court in June.
Jennifer L. Geimer was recently ordered to appear in court to answer to charges that she stole at least $16,000 from Parkton Assembly of God in Barnhart, over the course of a couple of years.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Geimer with stealing $750 or more, and she has been issued a criminal summons to appear in court on June 8, according to St. Louis-based Fox 2 News.
According to authorities, the church reached out to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office last September to report a theft, with a witness claiming that she saw Geimer write and endorse several unauthorized checks for her personal use.
The witness alleged that she found checks written outside normal church payroll procedures, and she gave investigators images of 38 unauthorized checks endorsed by Geimer.
Investigators examined church records and identified 27 unauthorized checks that Geimer wrote and endorsed, which totaled $16,177.91. Additionally, they found 20 more suspected unauthorized checks totaling $10,130.82, but they could not be verified, Fox 2 reports.
Geimer allegedly told a detective over the phone that she had made bad decisions and was willing to repay the church, but then she later declined to give an official statement after speaking with an attorney.
According to a 2017 study by Lifeway Research, nearly one out of 10 surveyed Protestant pastors said their church had witnessed someone embezzle funds.
Congregations with 250 or more members were slightly more likely to report witnessing embezzlement than smaller churches, according to the Lifeway report.
“Churches run on trust — but they also know people are imperfect and can be tempted,” said Lifeway Executive Director Scott McConnell. “That’s why safeguarding a church’s finances is an important part of ministry.”
TULSA, OK — Federal court documents outline how a former Tulsa Catholic deacon is accused of moving large sums of money from a local church into personal accounts.
Investigators say the alleged scheme involved repeated transfers kept under internal approval limits and efforts to conceal the activity.
Details are outlined in a federal filing dated April 28, 2026.
77: Unauthorized transfers
Investigators say John Sommer carried out at least 77 unauthorized ACH transfers from church accounts in 2025.
The transactions were made over several months while he handled financial duties for the parish.
$1,587,322.75: Total moved or attempted from church accounts
Court documents say Sommer caused or attempted to transfer more than $1.5 million from church accounts, routing the money into accounts he owned or controlled, prosecutors say.
$1,466,916.75: Reported loss to the church
The filing states the church’s actual loss totaled about $1.46 million, reflecting transactions that were successfully completed.
Investigators say none of the money was used for legitimate church purposes.
$30,000: Key transaction threshold
Prosecutors say each transfer was kept under $30,000, which allowed transactions to go through without additional approvals under church policy.
March 11 to Oct. 8, 2025: Timeline of alleged scheme
The alleged fraud occurred over nearly seven months in 2025, according to the federal information.
$130,000: Example transaction cited in charges
One count details a transfer of about $130,000 between bank accounts tied to the defendant, described as part of unlawful monetary transactions tied to the alleged fraud.
2: Federal charges filed
Sommer faces one count of bank fraud and one count of unlawful monetary transactions in federal court.
Additional context:
John Sommer, former deacon facing $1.5 million in fraud charges
Church officials say they uncovered the issue in October 2025 and reported it to law enforcement. Parish leaders say Sommer admitted to making unauthorized transfers and was removed from his role.
They also say most of the money has been recovered through insurance and that restricted funds, including endowments and capital campaigns, were not affected.
Isaac Oppong has been arrested in Ontario, Canada, over allegations of involvement in a large-scale fraud scheme. Credit: Martin Trainor/CBC
VAUGHAN, ONTARIO — A longtime pastor from Vaughan, Ont., is among 15 people charged in connection with an alleged fraud ring that police say targeted a program for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
York Regional Police say the investigation, dubbed Project Great One, was led by its financial crimes unit in partnership with the Regional Municipality of York.
The case began on April 3, 2025, when the region reported suspected fraud involving its Homelessness Prevention Program, a service for individuals not on other social assistance programs who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
A review by York Region staff identified numerous applications containing fraudulent information. Police allege that between January and December 2024, about $99,600 was fraudulently claimed.
Investigators say the suspects were organized and coordinated in carrying out the alleged frauds. Search warrants were executed at 12 residences and on 10 vehicles as part of the probe.
Police say Isaac Oppong, 38, of Vaughan, was identified as the principal suspect. He was a pastor at Miracle Arena for All Nations from 2018 until 2025 and is accused of using his position to recruit others to participate.
“Any time we see someone that’s a person in a position of authority, that’s abusing that authority in order to make financial gains or influence people’s decisions, we take that very seriously,” police said.
Authorities allege fraudulent claims were submitted to the homelessness program, which is designed to support vulnerable people in the community.
“That’s money that’s in a program to support people that are vulnerable within our community, and unfortunately, this is money that we’re still working to get back,” police said.
Global News interviewed Oppong in July 2023 about the church’s efforts to provide shelter for refugees and asylum seekers.
“They came here … with the expectation of the land of the free, land of opportunity. Unfortunately, some of them had a shocking experience,” he said at the time.
Miracle Arena says it became aware in June of concerns related to Oppong’s conduct in connection with separate legal matters and removed him from ministerial duties. The church says it was later advised by law enforcement of the investigation and that the alleged conduct was undertaken without its knowledge or involvement.
Police say Oppong used his position as pastor to influence others and believe there may be additional victims. The investigation is ongoing.
LEAWOOD, KN — The former priest of Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood has been arrested by Leawood police on suspicion of stealing $160,000.
