He was a pastor at the True Foundation nondenominational church in Dallas.
A pastor in Texas, the United States, Whitney Foster, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.
According to reports, he was convicted of stealing three churches valued at more than $800,000, according to News Channel.
He was a pastor at the True Foundation nondenominational church in Dallas.
He was sentenced after he was convicted of theft of property involving three local churches, Dallas County prosecutors announced.
He was accused of stealing real estate from three local churches after prosecutors said he filed fraudulent property deeds, listing a fake pastor or other church officials of the congregations from which he was found guilty of stealing property, officials said.
The value of the three properties totalled more than $800,000, prosecutors said.
The First Christian Church in Lancaster, Texas, Canada Drive Christian Church and Church at Ninevah were listed as the three churches that had property stolen, prosecutors said. Two of the three churches are still listed in Foster’s name.
Prosecutors said that Foster’s congregation was still meeting at one of the properties and that the third property remains embroiled in legal complications because of the pastor’s actions.
“Stealing real estate is an incredibly serious and damaging crime,” John Creuzot, Dallas County criminal district attorney, said in a statement Monday. “It’s worse than the theft of someone’s vehicle or other possessions. When someone steals property, we must hold them accountable because they are hurting people.”
The jury was presented evidence of seven additional fraudulent acts in addition to the three of which Foster was convicted. Foster was previously convicted of identity theft and arson, prosecutors announced.