Pastor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Nearly $1M of Katrina Aid Meant for 'Church'
New Orleans Pastor Toris Young pled guilty Thursday to embezzling nearly $1 million in disaster loan payments, which he claimed were used to rebuild his former ministry, Bible Way Baptist Church, after Hurricane Katrina.
After Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, the Small Business Administration (SBA) rewarded Young's former Church, located on Joliet Street in New Orleans, a total of $963,000 for reconstruction.
Young allegedly spent this money on personal items, including jewelry, vehicles and clothes, according to WDSU News Channel 6.
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According to Young's indictment document, released in September 2011, Young submitted fraudulent invoices from the church's Board of Directors, as well as fraudulent receipts to receive the money. When the SBA visited the parish to see the rebuilding process, they found the property to be vacant.
According to Young's indictment, the minister also submitted purported flood insurance and fire hazard insurance documents to the SBA to receive the loan.
Young's sentencing is scheduled for May 3, and he faces up to 10 years in jail along with a $250,000 fee.
Young also made headlines in 2009 when he unsuccessfully led a campaign to recall Louisiana 2nd District Representative Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao, after he refused to support President Barack Obama's stimulus package.
He also made a controversial move when he began an anti-crime initiative with rap artist Corey Miller in April 2009. Miller was previously convicted of murdering a teenager at a Louisiana nightclub.
At the time of his Sept. 2011 indictment, Young was already in jail serving time for using forged Western Union money orders and identity theft, charges to which he pled guilty in 2011. He received a sentence of two years, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.
The Small Business Administration provided several low interest loans to businesses and homes after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. The Hurricane reaped significant damage on the Gulf Coast region of Louisiana, including the state's metropolitan area and location of the church, New Orleans.
When The Christian Post attempted to contact the Bible Way Baptist Church, the phone was disconnected.
