Pastor Dale Sanders, a 56-year-old Kenner, Louisiana minister, was indicted in April 2026 on eleven federal counts alleging he used a church debit card to take roughly $343,293 over four years. He has pleaded not guilty, was released on a $5,000 bond, and is scheduled for trial on July 6, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.1Christian Post. Louisiana Pastor Indicted for Embezzling $343K
The Charges
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana returned the indictment on April 28, 2026. The eleven counts fall into two groups:
- Access device fraud under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1029(a)(2) and 1029(c)(1)(A)(i), tied to the alleged unauthorized use of a church debit card between about April 2020 and April 2024.
- Obstruction of a federal investigation under 18 U.S.C. § 1519, based on allegations that Sanders falsified a 2023 contribution statement to impede the FBI’s inquiry into the missing money.2MinistryWatch. Louisiana Pastor Accused of Embezzling Over $300K From Church
The FBI investigated the case.3U.S. Department of Justice. Metairie Pastor Indicted for Access Device Fraud and Obstruction of Federal Investigation
What Prosecutors Allege
According to the charging document, Sanders used a debit card linked to a church bank account to obtain funds for personal use across roughly four years. The indictment identifies the victim entity only as “Company A”; reporting has identified it as the Fifth African Baptist Church of New Orleans, where Sanders served as pastor. Sanders also led the Second New Guide Missionary Baptist Church in Metairie for about 13 years.2MinistryWatch. Louisiana Pastor Accused of Embezzling Over $300K From Church
The obstruction count rests on a separate allegation: that in 2023, with the federal investigation underway, Sanders falsified a contribution statement to throw the FBI off.2MinistryWatch. Louisiana Pastor Accused of Embezzling Over $300K From Church
How Sanders Is Responding
Sanders has denied the allegations. In a Facebook video posted on April 22, 2026, he said: “I am a giver, that I’ve always been a giver. I don’t steal, and I have not stolen from a church I’ve pastored.”1Christian Post. Louisiana Pastor Indicted for Embezzling $343K
His public defense has two parts. He claims he was covering for a former church finance manager whose own misconduct he chose to shield, calling it “a costly affair” undertaken at “the expense of my own exposure,” and he said that same person is now accusing him.2MinistryWatch. Louisiana Pastor Accused of Embezzling Over $300K From Church He also said he made personal financial sacrifices for the church, working without a salary for four years and absorbing a $2,000-a-month pay cut, which he said led to two cars being repossessed and his son transferring from private to public school.1Christian Post. Louisiana Pastor Indicted for Embezzling $343K
Case Status and Trial Date
Sanders pleaded not guilty at his April 27, 2026 arraignment and was released on a $5,000 bond. Trial is set for July 6, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.1Christian Post. Louisiana Pastor Indicted for Embezzling $343K
What He Faces If Convicted
A conviction carries a maximum of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.3U.S. Department of Justice. Metairie Pastor Indicted for Access Device Fraud and Obstruction of Federal Investigation The indictment also seeks forfeiture of $343,293 in property tied to the alleged offenses.2MinistryWatch. Louisiana Pastor Accused of Embezzling Over $300K From Church