New Orleans pastor admits stealing almost $900K from his church and parishioners

By Adeleye Kunle

A New Orleans minister faces up to 10 years in prison for money laundering after he admitted to defrauding his church, its housing ministries, his parishioners, and a charter school out of nearly $900,000.

Rev. Charles Southall III, 64, served as the pastor of First Emanuel Baptist Church in New Orleans and Baton Rouge for more than three decades.

He has since pleaded guilty to money laundering.

The office of U.S. Attorney Duane Evans said in a statement: “In total, Southall obtained approximately $889,565.86 through his fraudulent schemes.”

Southall relocated to Baton Rouge from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according to news reports.

Prosecutors said he took advantage of his status as pastor by requesting and then pocketing contributions and tithes from parishioners.

His actions include soliciting money from a parishioner for charitable causes and church facility upgrades for four years, then diverting $106,408 of the funds to his personal accounts.