Oklahoma Pastor Accused Of Stealing Nearly $1 Million In Church Funds
An Oklahoma pastor has been indicted on charges of financial fraud, recently-filed court documents state.
Willard Lenord Jones, the 63-year-old pastor of Greater Cornerstone Church in Tulsa, has reportedly been charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of tax fraud after it was discovered that he allegedly diverted nearly $1 million in donations for his community development project into his own personal accounts.
From 2007 until recently, Jones would reportedly transfer funds donated to his Greater Cornerstone Community Development Project into church funds, and then transfer the money into his own personal bank accounts. The donated money was reportedly used by Jones to remodel his home, as well as visit casinos, hotels and restaurants, and purchase cars and liquor.
Court documents state that Jones also failed to report $390,061 of his income when he filed his 2011 tax return.
According to the local Tulsa Fox affiliate, Jones also used the donated funds to purchase luxury items like a Rolex watch and a mink coat.
U.S. Attorney Danny Williams told the Fox affiliate that the executive board of the community project decided to do an internal audit in 2013 when Jones said there weren't enough funds to start new projects.
"About $500,000 was missing. Reverend Jones would not cooperate with that audit, and subsequently the FBI was contacted," Williams said.
"When in fact, he was spending the stolen funds on hotels, restaurants, gambling at casinos, liquor, automobiles and luxury items including a Rolex watch and a monogrammed mink fur coat with matching hat and gloves," Williams added.
