Two California Pastors Face Up To 20 Years In Prison For $14M Loan Fraud Scheme

Sheila Quintan Staccato Powell,
Sheila Quintana, 67, and Staccato Powell,

*Two former pastors at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in California are facing up to 20 years in prison for allegedly defrauding churches across the state out of $14 million.

Sheila Quintana, 67, and Staccato Powell, 62, who were leaders of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion), were arrested and indicted on wire fraud and conspiracy charges, the Los Angeles Times reports. The duo is accused of securing the loans under false pretenses, and using the funds for personal expenses, authorities said Tuesday.

READ MORE: Pastor Mike Todd Apologizes After Spitting on Man’s Face During Sermon [VIDEO]

Here’s more from the LA Times report: 

Authorities allege the two took control of congregations’ properties and used them to secure loans to benefit themselves in a scheme that ran from around October 2016 to late July 2021, according to the indictment, which was filed Jan. 6 and unsealed Tuesday. Court documents describe the conspiracy as a “campaign of pressure and misinformation targeting pastors who served at the pleasure of Powell.”

“The indictment alleges that Powell and Quintana conspired to defraud AME Zion Church congregations in Oakland, San Jose, Palo Alto, and Los Angeles by re-deeding the local congregations’ properties in the name of WED Inc.,” prosecutors said.

Powell and Quintana each face two counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of California. Powell also faces one count of mail fraud.

Authorities claim Quintana and Powell allegedly falsified bank statements to scam the federal government out of $14 million. The scheme reportedly unraveled in 2019 when the loans on the churches began to default, per the report. 

“By mid-2020, all of the hard money loans were in default, and WED Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection,” the indictment said.

The Rev. Kaloma Smith, the pastor at University AME Zion, said, “We are grateful to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for bringing this case forward. We are grateful that somebody heard our cry and started moving on that, and we are grateful for those in the community who knew and supported us.”

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!

Kevin Hart
The Jacksons (Jackie Tito Marlon) - Depositphotos
Jalen Hurts - Getty
Wendy Williams - Instagram
Ben Affleck Returns as Christian Wolff in The Accountant 2
Jonathan and Mochael
Michael Jordan smoking a cigar - via Grok AI
Valentine's Day Roses
Taco Bell customer and security guard who slapped her
Ellis Hall2b
Cherelle Parker - screenshot
Read More
Kanye West and Bianca Censori on Grammy Red Carpet - screenshot
Read More
Damon Wayans
Read More
Beyond the Gates
Read More
Denzel Washington - Gladiator II
Read More
Learjet after crashing - via Grok AI
Read More
Sunny Hostin
Read More
Amtrak
Read More
Will Smith (AI character from 'I Am Legend 2'
Read More
Bevelyn Beatty Williams
Read More

POPULAR

Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart's 'Lil Kev' Animated Series Features Wanda Sykes, Deon Cole, and More | Watch Trailer
The Jacksons (Jackie Tito Marlon) - Depositphotos
The Jacksons Announce Three UK Performances for Summer 2025
Jalen Hurts - Getty
Jalen Hurts Lives in $2K-a-Month Rental Despite $255M NFL Contract
Wendy Williams - Instagram
Wendy Williams Files Legal Action to Regain Control over Personal Affairs
Ben Affleck Returns as Christian Wolff in The Accountant 2
Ben Affleck Returns as Christian Wolff in the Highly Anticipated 'The Accountant 2' | Watch Trailer
Jonathan and Mochael
Michael B. Jordan Open to Working with Jonathan Majors Again Despite Controversy
Michael Jordan smoking a cigar - via Grok AI
Michael Jordan Talks Pre-Game Relaxation Via Cigar
Valentine's Day Roses
Where Do Valentine’s Day Roses Come From? | VIDEO
Taco Bell customer and security guard who slapped her
Crunch Slap Supreme: Taco Bell Security Guard Caught Brutally Slapping Black Woman in Viral Video | WATCH
1 2 3 8,555