Conservative Babylon

Convictions upheld: Anthony Jinwright, 57, and Harriet Porter-Jinwright, 52, former co-pastors, Greater Salem City of God Church, Charlotte, North Carolina, sentenced to prison in 2010 for conspiracy, tax evasion and filing false tax returns. The Charlotte Observer reports: “According to an IRS agent who testified during the Jinwrights’ trial, Greater Salem paid Anthony Jinwright nearly $3.9 million between 2001 and 2007. It paid Harriet Jinwright nearly $1 million during those same years. The couple also earned tens of thousands of dollars from speaking at other churches. But during the years in question, the Jinwrights reported slightly more than $1.8 million in taxable income and nearly $1.6 million in personal deductions, which would have left them about $28,000 a year in nondeductible expenses. Witnesses testified that Greater Salem spent lavishly to support the Jinwrights, paying for costs such as luxury cars, vacations and college tuition for the couple’s daughter. The church eventually sought bankruptcy protection to avoid a foreclosure sale after defaulting on a $5 million loan.” Story: Conservative Babylon, November 15, 2010; Conservative Babylon, December 12, 2010; Conservative Babylon, January 6, 2011; Charlotte Observer, June 26, 2012

Acquitted: Yehuda Kolko, a.k.a. Joel Kolko, 66, ultra-Orthodox rabbi, Brooklyn, New York, of two counts of criminal contempt by violating an order of protection when he allegedly stared down and took a photo of a 13-year-old boy who accused Kolko of sexually molesting him when he was six. Jewish Week notes: “Rabbi Kolko was allowed in that case to plead to reduced charges of child endangerment and received three years probation, but did not have to register as a sex offender. The protection order was also part of the plea deal. … The jurors were not allowed to know anything about the underlying crime that led to the protection order in order to avoid prejudicing the case, and throughout the trial Rabbi Kolko’s lawyer, Jeffrey Schwartz, sought to portray the boy’s father as having a vendetta against the rabbi and seeking to manipulate the system to get him removed from the neighborhood. Schwartz’s strategy seems to have worked.” Story: Conservative Babylon, June 23, 2012; Jewish Week, June 26, 2012

Convicted: Antonio Rubalcaba Lacy, 18, Mormon “priest” and former Brigham Young University student, on six felony counts of forcible sexual abuse after sexually molesting two different BYU roommates in their sleep. Sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2012, at which Lacy could receive up to 15 years for each count. Story: Conservative Babylon, February 17, 2012; Conservative Babylon, March 15, 2012; Daily Herald, June 26, 2012

Charged: Robert “Bob” Lawther, pastor, Bethel Family Church, a.k.a. Bethel Pentecostal Tabernacle, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, with three counts of sexual interference with (i.e., touching) children under the age of 16. Lawther, currently free on a $5,000 bond, is due in court August 22, 2012. Story: Cape Breton Post, June 28, 2012

Arrested: William Muwanguzi, a.k.a. “Kiwedde,” a.k.a. “Paul Mwamba,” pastor, Holy Fire Ministries (a “born-again” Pentecostal church), Namulanda, Uganda, on suspicion of conspiring with a group of men to rape one woman and attempt to rape a second woman, who escaped. This is only the latest crime with which Muwanguzi has been charged; Ultimate Media notes: “Pastor Kiwedde has in the past been implicated in other criminal cases of shooting and stealing a car which was recovered from the Democratic Republic of Congo,” as well as “terrorism, illegal possession of firearms and assaulting a police officer on duty,” according to New Vision, which adds: “According to the Police, intelligence reports indicated that before he fled the country — “hiding in Kenya since 2010″ — “Kiwedde had been posing as a UPDF [Uganda People's Defence Force] Major under the name Musinguzi.” Story: Uganda Picks, April 19, 2012; New Vision, April 20, 2012; Ultimate Media, June 29, 2012. See also: Kizito Michael George Library

Trial delayed: Sammy Nuckolls, 33, Southern Baptist traveling evangelist from Olive Branch, Mississippi, and LifeWay Christian Resources camp pastor, on 13 counts of video voyeurism, until July 30, 2012. Nuckolls has already pleaded guilty to video voyeurism charges in Arkansas, for which he was sentenced to five years’ probation and sex-offender registration and ordered pay a $750 fine. Story: Conservative Babylon, April 1, 2012; Conservative Babylon, April 4, 2012; Conservative Babylon, April 13, 2012; Associated Baptist Press, June 28, 2012

Charged: Victor Richardson, pastor, New Zion Fellowship Church, Anderson, Indiana, with domestic battery, strangulation and resisting an officer, stemming from “allegations that he was intoxicated, had strangled his wife and wouldn’t let her leave,” reports WISH, which adds: “Court documents show Richardson barricaded himself in a bedroom when officers arrived, saying: ‘Shoot me. you’ll have to shoot me.’” Released on bond, Richardson was re-arrested on “a probation violation charge.” Story: WISH, June 26, 2012

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Related posts (automatically generated):

1. Black Collar Crime Round-Up: July 1, 2012, Part 1
2. Black Collar Crime Round-Up: June 10, 2012
3. Black Collar Crime Round-Up: June 23, 2012
4. Black Collar Crime Round-Up: April 23, 2012
5. Black Collar Crime Round-Up: May 16, 2012

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