US pastor convicted for stealing $340,000 from churches to gamble

A United States pastor, Dale Sanders, has been convicted of defrauding two Louisiana churches of more than $340,000 to finance his gambling habits and other personal expenditures. A jury delivered the guilty verdict on 25 counts, encompassing wire fraud, access device fraud, and obstruction of a federal investigation, following a five-day trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long.

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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.

Prosecutors detailed how Sanders systematically withdrew funds and transferred money from Church A's bank accounts to his own. These illicitly obtained funds were used for personal expenses, including gambling, dining, and general living costs. The jury also found Sanders guilty of using Church A's debit card for unauthorized personal transactions, accumulating over $340,000 in cash, goods, and services to which he was not entitled.

In addition to the fraud charges, Sanders was convicted of obstructing a federal investigation by providing a falsified record in response to a grand jury subpoena. U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New Orleans Field Office for their work on the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn McHugh and Tracey Knight leading the prosecution.

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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.

Sanders is scheduled for sentencing on October 13, 2026. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, along with three years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee for each count.

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SANDERS was also found guilty of obstruction of a federal investigation for providing a falsified record in response to a grand jury subpoena.