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

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A United States pastor, Dale Sanders, has been convicted of stealing more than $340,000 from two churches in Louisiana to fund gambling and other personal expenses.

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A jury found the 56-year-old guilty on 25 counts of wire fraud, access device fraud and obstruction of a federal investigation following a five-day trial before US District Judge Brandon S. Long.

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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.

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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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The jury also convicted Sanders of obstructing a federal investigation.

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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.”

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Judge Brandon S. Long scheduled Sanders’ sentencing for October 13, 2026.

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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.

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US Attorney David I. Courcelle praised 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 handled the prosecution.

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