American pastor gets 35 years for church theft

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A Texas pastor has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of stealing three churches valued at over $800,000.

Whitney Foster, 56, pastor of the True Foundation nondenominational church in Dallas, was convicted of theft involving three local churches, according to Dallas County prosecutors.

Foster, whose congregation did not have a physical location, was accused of stealing real estate by filing fraudulent property deeds. He listed fake pastors or officials from the three churches and named his own church as the grantee.

The stolen properties, valued at over $800,000, included the First Christian Church in Lancaster, Texas, Canada Drive Christian Church, and Church at Ninevah. Two of these properties are still under Foster’s name.

Prosecutors revealed that Foster’s congregation was meeting at one of the stolen properties and that the third property remains legally entangled due to his actions.

“Stealing real estate is an incredibly serious and damaging crime,” said John Creuzot, Dallas County criminal district attorney. “It’s worse than stealing a vehicle or other possessions. When someone steals property, we must hold them accountable because they are hurting people.”

The jury heard evidence of seven additional fraudulent acts beyond the three for which Foster was convicted. Foster had prior convictions for identity theft and arson.

In 2021, the pastor of the Lancaster, Texas church discovered that the congregation no longer owned the building after it was deeded to another person for $10, reported a Dallas television station.

The property, valued at $700,000, was transferred when someone posing as the church chairman signed it over to a non-church member for $10. At the time, Foster claimed he thought the church building was vacant.

“You can acquire property for $10 with nonprofits,” Foster told the local news station. “The church is community property. It wasn’t Whitney buying it. Our church was getting it. I was planning to open up a church there.”