A jury convicted Texas pastor Whitney Foster of stealing from three churches worth more than $800,000, and a judge sentenced Foster to 35 years in prison, according to Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot’s office.
Foster was the pastor of the True Foundation, a non-denominational church in Dallas that had no physical building in which to hold meetings. He filed fraud charges against three churches and tried to steal their real estate. SaidClozeau’s office said the deed listed the names of a fake pastor and other church officials, and Clozeau then listed himself as a beneficiary. (Related: Real estate mogul sentenced to death in fraud scheme: Report)
“Property theft is an extremely serious and damaging crime. It’s worse than stealing someone’s car or other property,” Creuzot said. “When someone steals property, they’re hurting people and they need to be held accountable.”
The leader of a small Dallas church will spend the next 35 years in prison for stealing real estate from three other churches. https://t.co/HOOaG13wek
— FOX 4 News (@FOX4) June 10, 2024
According to the DA’s office, the churches affected by Foster’s crimes include Lancaster First Church of Christ, Canada Drive Church of Christ and Nineveh Church, two of which are still in Foster’s name.
“Deed fraud cases are not just disputes. They are lies and fraud, they are theft and they cause enormous harm. We are so grateful that the jury saw the truth of this case and held the defendants accountable,” said Philip Clark, the lead prosecutor on the case.
According to the press release, a jury had previously convicted Foster of other crimes, including identity theft and arson.
Lancaster First Christian Church has had trouble with property deeds before: In May 2021, Pastor Melissa Bitting’s congregation received notice that the church was owned by someone else. according to To WFAA News.
Records filed since March 2019 revealed that someone posing as the church’s president transferred $700,000 worth of real estate to someone with no ties to the church for $10, according to WFAA.
