Louisiana Pastor Convicted of Stealing $340,000 From Churches to Fund Gambling

A Louisiana pastor accused of stealing congregation funds to support a gambling habit urged churchgoers to ‘pray for his enemies’ as law enforcement closed in on his arrest.

Prosecutors say Dale Sanders, 56, stole more than $340,000 from two Louisiana churches where he served as pastor: Second New Guide Missionary Baptist Church in Metairie and Fifth African Baptist Church in New Orleans.

He was convicted July 17 on 25 federal counts following a five-day jury trial in New Orleans. The charges included wire fraud, access device fraud, and obstruction of a federal investigation.

Personal Spending

Court filings show Sanders secretly obtained a church debit card without board approval, using it for hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal expenses and casino cash withdrawals between April 2020 and April 2024.

But when the accounts needed replenishing, Sanders reached into the coffers of his other church, according to prosecutors, transferring funds from Fifth African to Second New Guide to plug the holes.

Sanders was also convicted of trying to cover his tracks after the FBI began investigating. Prosecutors said he responded to a federal grand jury subpoena with a falsified record intended to make it appear that he had donated money back to the church in 2023.

Facebook Preacher

Following his April indictment, Sanders took to social media to thank supporters for their prayers before asking them to extend the favor to those pursuing him.

The sharply dressed minister frequently posted footage of sermons and singing from his services on Facebook and wrote a self-help book titled Strut Your Stutter, encouraging readers to embrace what made them different.

“I need you to pray a Matthew 5:44 prayer. I need you to pray for my enemy,” he said in the video.

“The Bible says, ‘Pray for them that despitefully use you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my namesake,’” he continued. “If you pray for my enemy, God will not only bless me, but he will deal with them.”

A federal jury was less receptive to his message.

US District Judge Brandon S. Long scheduled sentencing for October 13, when Sanders faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of as much as $250,000 or twice the financial gain or loss, and three years of supervised release.