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Pastor Who Swindled $1M From Congregants Fights Probation At Ohio Supreme Court

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Monday, March 10, 2025 Getty Images/ Vladimir Cetinski A former Ohio pastor convicted of fleecing some $1 million from his church in 2010 and sentenced to several years in prison plus a period of community control or probation he argues is beyond the state's five-year limit has taken his case

By LeoNardo Blair, Senior Reporter

Getty Photos/ Vladimir Cetinski

A weak Ohio pastor convicted of fleecing some $1 million from his church in 2010 and sentenced to several years in detention heart plus a period of community control or probation he argues is beyond the suppose’s 5-one year limit has taken his case to the suppose’s Supreme Courtroom.

David Thompson, who led the World of Pentecost Church in Columbus from 1998 to 2007, used to be convicted of 21 felonies, including partaking in a sample of nefarious exercise, theft and forgery in 2010, in step with Courtroom Info Ohio, a carrier of the Place of work of Public Data of the Supreme Courtroom of Ohio.

Thompson got a sentence of 5 years in detention heart for 19 counts linked to his crime, while he used to be equipped 5 years of community control for two of the 21 felonies. He used to be additionally ordered to pay the church $733,048 in restitution. His sentences were scheduled to stagger consecutively.

He appealed his sentenced in 2011, court docket paperwork note, however handiest his theft conviction and the quantity of his restitution were reduced.

Four years later, in January 2015, Thompson utilized for and got a judicial free up from his detention heart sentence, however he used to be ordered to proceed paying restitution alongside with 5 years of community control as stipulations of his early free up.

On March 13, 2019, Thompson’s probation officer reported that he had violated the terms of his community control by failing to create acceptable funds toward restitution to the church, court docket paperwork note. At the time, the weak pastor had an illustrious restitution steadiness of $621,377.50.

At a hearing to revoke his community control, the court docket properly-known that Thompson had been “underemployed” while on community control and had “no longer made the misfortune.”

“The court docket particularly properly-known that, in spite of his minimal funds toward restitution, appellant ‘learned money’ to put shut several journeys, including a time out ‘to Tennessee to salvage married and chase to Myrtle Seaside for [his] honeymoon,'” court docket paperwork properly-known.

A trial court docket learned Thompson would possess to return to detention heart and lift out the rest 11 months of detention heart time from his long-established sentence on the 19 counts. The court docket additional ruled that he would possess to abet the distinctive 5 years of community control for the two-depend conviction after completing the rest 11 months of his initial sentence.

Thompson later mounted a series of appeals. In his remaining appeal, he argued that suppose laws caps community control at 5 years. Since he already served 5 years of community control after his judicial free up in 2015, he shouldn’t be compelled to abet yet another 5-one year term.

The Tenth District upheld his latest sentence in a 2-1 resolution, including the 2nd 5-one year community control period. The weak pastor appealed the resolution on the Ohio Supreme Courtroom, which has agreed to listen to his case. 

Contact: leoNardo.blair@christianpost.com Practice LeoNardo Blair on Twitter: @leoblair Practice LeoNardo Blair on Facebook: LeoBlairChristianPost


Source:www.christianpost.com

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