Black Collar Crime Archives

Updated: Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Robert Fenton Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Church Teen

January 20, 2025 Black Collar Crime 2 Comments

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

In 2022, Robert Fenton, a former youth pastor at Abide in the Vine Church in Owego, New York, was accused of sexually abusing a church teenager in the 1990s.

WHTM-27 reported:

A former youth pastor from Bradford County has been accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl over 20 years ago during a church-approved “betrothal,” according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General.

Robert Fenton, 52, is being charged with sexually abusing and assaulting a 14-year-old girl from 1996 to 1998 in Bradford County, when he was 26 years old. According to the announcement from the AG’s office, Fenton allegedly claimed that “God wanted the victim to be his spouse” because of a vision he had. The AG further explained that Fenton allegedly got approval from leaders at Abide in the Vine Church to “betroth” the girl to him “with an understanding that no sexual activity would occur.”

The alleged victim, now over 40 years old, first told police about the abuse in 2019, according to the criminal complaint released with the announcement. After the “betrothal,” the victim said Fenton allegedly convinced her parents to take her out of public school so he could visit her at home. Fenton allegedly touched the girl’s genitals and made her touch him.

In 1998, the victim said she and Fenton got engaged, at which point he allegedly made her perform oral sex on him, the affidavit said.

After the wedding was called off because Fenton reportedly got pancreatitis, the relationship ended around August-September 1998. Fenton then allegedly told the girl that she ruined his ministry before moving to Australia. The AG’s Office said that Fenton is a paster at a church in Queensland, Australia.

Once the AG’s office took over the investigation in July 2021, officers interviewed friends of the victim, congregation members, and her parents. Her parents reportedly explained that they were aware of and agreed to Fenton’s betrothal. They also said that the church elders at one point set up a 6-month “no contact” period, during which Fenton and the girl could only write letters. However, the parents claimed that Fenton would “push the boundaries”.

The pastor of the church was reportedly unsupportive of the relationship when Fenton first explained his vision. However, the pastor’s son told the AG’s office that the girl’s family and Fenton pressured the pastor and likened the relationship to Mary and Joseph, with Mary being much younger. The pastor’s son said that his father didn’t know the relationship was sexual.

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Fenton has been charged with Indecent Assault of a Person under 16, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse with a Person Under 16, Aggravated Indecent Assault, Corruption of Minors, and Statutory Sexual Assault. The AG said his office will work with the U.S. State Department and Department of Justice to try to extradite Fenton from Australia.

“The defendant used his power and authority in his religious community to lie, manipulate and regularly abuse a young girl in his community. I promised we would hold anyone who was abusing children accountable – and Robert Fenton is no exception,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “Survivors experience a lifetime of anguish and trauma trying to overcome the impact of abuse. I want survivors to know – we believe you, and we will not let predators get away with the sexual assault of children.”

The website for Pennsylvania’s Attorney General stated:

Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the charges against former youth pastor Robert Fenton for regularly assaulting a 14-year-old member of his religious community from 1996 to 1998.

Fenton, 52, is believed to be associated with a church in the Queensland area of Australia as a pastor. A letter has been dispatched to the church notifying them of the charges. The Office of Attorney General will seek his extradition in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Justice. He was charged with statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and related charges. His alleged victim, now in her 40s, reported to the Pennsylvania State Police that the defendant began sexually abusing her when she was approximately 14 years old and Fenton was 26.

“The defendant used his power and authority in his religious community to lie, manipulate and regularly abuse a young girl in his community. I promised we would hold anyone who was abusing children accountable – and Robert Fenton is no exception,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “Survivors experience a lifetime of anguish and trauma trying to overcome the impact of abuse. I want survivors to know – we believe you, and we will not let predators get away with the sexual assault of children.”

In July 2021, the Office of Attorney General in partnership with state police began investigating the case following a referral by the Bradford County District Attorney’s Office. Investigators learned that Fenton was a youth pastor in Bradford County and declared that God wanted the victim to be his spouse. He sought and received the approval of church leaders to “betroth” the victim to him with an understanding that no sexual activity would occur. However, between 1996 and 1998 the victim sustained frequent sexual abuse by Fenton.

Between July 2021 and February 2022, investigators interviewed multiple former church officials and associates of Fenton and the victim. These interviews corroborated the victim’s allegations, stating that they recalled then 26-year-old Fenton was in a “relationship” with the victim and understood them to be “betrothed” with the blessing of their religious community. The victim came forward to law enforcement after leaving the religious community and seeking counseling for the trauma inflicted by Fenton’s abuse.

On January 16, 2025, Fenton pleaded guilty to aggravated indecent assault and statutory sexual assault.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office reports:

Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that a former youth pastor from Bradford County, Robert David Fenton, 55, pleaded guilty on Thursday to aggravated indecent assault and statutory sexual assault.

He will also undergo an evaluation by the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board in Pennsylvania. Sentencing will be at a later date.

Fenton was youth pastor at Abide in the Vine church when the sexual abuse happened between 1996 and 1998, beginning when the victim was 14.

Fenton fled to Australia before charges were filed, and was ultimately apprehended entering the Philippines in April 2024.

“This trusted mentor figure used religion to get close to, and exploit, this child for his own sexual gratification,” Attorney General Henry said. “Investigators went to great lengths — literally — to bring this defendant to justice for deviate crimes he committed decades ago.”

According to the investigation, Fenton, who was 26 at the time, went to the victim’s parents and announced that he had a vision from God that Fenton and the child were to be married. Fenton, the victim’s parents, and other church officials came to an agreement on a betrothal between Fenton and the child. Fenton then sexually assaulted the child.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: IFB Pastor Harold Cole, Jr. Accused of Sexually Assaulting a Boy

January 10, 2025 Black Collar Crime 2 Comments

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Harold Cole, Jr., pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Farwell, Michigan, stands accused of sexually molesting a boy. Trinity Baptist is an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) congregation.

The Midland Daily News reports:

A Farwell pastor is out on bond with a tether after being charged with sexually assaulting a boy in June 2021.

Trinity Baptist Church Pastor Harold Cole Jr., 57, was arraigned Nov. 1 on second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child under 13. The church could not be reached for comment and its voicemail is not set up. Farwell is about five miles west of Clare.

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The male victim told out-of-state authorities about the alleged assault in March. He now resides outside of Michigan. Clare County Sheriff deputies received information about the assault and began investigating.

Channel 10 adds:

The Sheriff’s Office said Cole Jr. is currently a pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Farwell.

Detectives conducted an investigation and obtained a warrant for his arrest. He was arraigned on a charge of CSC – second degree and released on a $20,000 bond. He is currently on GPS tether.

Second degree CSC involves sexual contact with force or coercion, or with a victim who is under 13 years of age. This crime is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Catholic Priest Joseph Mouser, A Serial Child Molester, Accused of Sexually Molesting Children Decades Ago

January 10, 2025 Black Collar Crime 1 Comment

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Joseph Mouser, a retired Catholic priest, stands accused of two counts of first-degree sodomy of a minor victim under 12, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor victim under 12, and two counts of second-degree sodomy of a child under 14 years of age. According to news reports, Mouser is allegedly a serial child molester, with accusations dating back to the 1960s. At the time of his arrest, Mouser was in a nursing home.

Paxton Media Group reports:

A former priest with a history of sexual abuse against minors has been indicted by a Washington County grand jury for alleged events that occurred 35 years ago.

Father Joseph Irvin Mouser, 86, 515 Nerinx Road, Nerinx, was indicted on two counts of first-degree sodomy of a minor-victim under 12 (a Class A felony), two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor-victim under 12) (a Class C felony), and two counts of second-degree sodomy of a child under 14 years of age (a Class C felony). The indictment noted that these events happened on or about March 8, 1989, through March 7, 1991, in Washington County.

“Fr. Mouser ended any ministry several decades ago and resides in a nursing home,” Brian Reynolds, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Louisville, said. “We have not heard anything about the indictment and cannot comment on this matter at this time.”

This isn’t the first time Mouser has been in trouble. The accusations against him date back to the late 1960s and early ‘70s. According to five lawsuits brought against him, Mouser abused four victims between 1968 and 1972 at St. Helen’s parish in Barren County and the fifth while he was at St. Francis of Assisi in Jefferson County in 1974. One lawsuit alleged he “forcibly sexually molested, abused, battered, and assaulted” a victim at St. Helen’s in 1968. Others allege forced oral sex, groping, and fondling, among other charges. Victims reported receiving gifts from Mouser in exchange for sexual favors.

Mouser was placed on leave in May 2002. A month later, five men filed separate civil lawsuits accusing him of abusing them as minors in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Those lawsuits were settled in 2003, and the Review Board deemed the allegations credible in June 2004. In October 2005, the Vatican ordered Mouser to “live a life of prayer and penance.” Then-Archbishop Thomas Kelly of Louisville (who died in 2011) sent Mouser to live in a private residence on the property of the Loretto Motherhouse in Nernix, where he was explicitly directed not to serve in active ministry. But at the request of the sisters, he began offering Mass to them privately, which Kelly permitted and the Holy See approved. According to a March 24, 2020, article in the National Catholic Reporter, Reynolds said “Father Mouser was never appointed as the chaplain for the Sisters of Loretto.” Despite these claims, the article continued, Loretto identified Mouser as their chaplain in newsletters and magazines, even featuring him in photos on their website and annual reports. Reynolds told the National Catholic Reporter that the archdiocese was unaware of the priest’s expanded role. Before moving permanently to the Motherhouse, Mouser was appointed as chaplain twice by the archdiocese — from May 1993 to July 1996, and July 1996 to May 2002. The NCR reported that Kelly was aware of the allegations against Mouser before the appointment in 2002, and in 1993, Kelly had received “credible proof that Mouser was an abuser.”

According to BishopAccountability.org, a group that monitors documents related to the sex abuse crisis in the church, in January 2020, Mouser was discovered “working as a chaplain for the Sisters of Loretto in KY, despite the Vatican’s directive that he no longer wear clerical garb, celebrate mass publicly, administer sacraments, or present himself publicly as a priest.” After publicity in February 2020, the website reports, the Sisters said they were going to remove him.

“The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ordered Mouser to live a life of prayer and penance. And it’s the archdiocese’s responsibility to make sure that happens. He was not supposed to be in ministry, he was not supposed to be wearing clerical garb. So, I believe, it’s the archdiocese’s failure here,” said Terence McKiernan, co-founder of BishopAccountability.org.

The Courier Journal adds:

A Catholic priest who formerly worked in Louisville and was confirmed to have molested five boys by the local Archdiocese in 2005 is facing new charges.

Joseph Mouser, 86, was arrested by Marion County Sheriff’s Department deputies Thursday morning on charges of first- and second-degree sodomy involving a child 12 or younger and first-degree child sexual abuse for the alleged occurrences that happened between 1989 and 1993.

Archdiocese records show that Mouser, one of 48 archdiocese priests and members of religious orders credibly accused of child sexual abuse, abused four boys when he was assigned to St. Helen Catholic Church from 1968 to 1972 and a fifth when he was at St. Francis of Assisi from 1973 to 1979. He was not charged criminally.

Mouser was previously ordered by the Vatican to stop functioning as a priest and asked to live a life of “prayer and penance” by the Holy See, meaning he could no longer wear clerical garb, celebrate Mass publicly, administer the sacraments or present himself publicly as a priest.

The Courier Journal confirmed he was continuing his priestly responsibilities at the Sisters of Loretto, which is south of Bardstown in Marion County, as a chaplain after being removed from ministry by the Archdiocese in 2002.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Financial Administrator Chelsa Kinsella Accused of Stealing From Church

January 10, 2025 Black Collar Crime 1 Comment

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Chelsa Kinsella, a financial administrator for Trinity Lutheran Church in Bismarck, North Dakota, stands accused of stealing money from the church.

KX News reports:

A woman is now facing jail time after she’s accused of stealing money from a church.

A pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church says Chelsa Kinsella was hired in September as a financial administrator. At the time, they say she’d undergone a background check, but the pastor told police Kinsella changed the spelling of her name to prevent anyone from finding any previous charges on her record.

KX News obtained court documents that show Kinsella was fired in December, but another staff member at the church says around $38,000 was unaccounted for at the time of her departure.

The pastor and a police officer talked to Kinsella, telling her to return the money. They say she returned some of it in bank deposit bags, while an officer adds he found more money in her car and a key to the church’s safe in her home. She allegedly admitted to police that she used the church’s credit card to order goods from Amazon and Walmart.

Kinsella is now being charged with felony theft and unauthorized use of personal identifying info to obtain credit, the latter of which could result in up to 20 years in prison for the more serious charge. Her trial is scheduled to happen on April 24.

On Tuesday, KX News called and spoke to Trinity Lutheran pastor Mark Narum — who says the thefts have not impacted the church’s operations outside of creating more work for the staff.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Leader Lindsey Whiteside Accused of Having Sex with a Minor Girl

January 9, 2025 Black Collar Crime 0 Comments

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Lindsey Whiteside, a youth pastor at Getwell Church in Hernando, Mississippi, and high school basketball coach, stands accused of having sex with a minor girl under her care.

Whiteside’s church bio states:

My deepest passion is for everyone to experience Jesus in the same way I have. Through student ministry, missions, or any other ministry, I am so thankful that the Lord has called me to Getwell Hernando where I can pursue that passion both inside and outside the walls of the church. It is an honor that the Lord calls us all to participate in His Kingdom, and I am grateful to be able to do it within and alongside the community of Hernando.

“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26-28

Channel 5 reports:

A grand jury has returned an indictment charging a former DeSoto County youth minister with having sex with a child under her guardianship.

Court documents allege Lindsey Aldy Whiteside, 26, intentionally and knowingly had sex with an underage girl between May 14 and November 6, 2024.

An indictment was returned earlier this month, charging Whiteside with one count of felony sexual battery of a minor.

Prior to the indictment, Whiteside worked at Getwell Church Hernando as a student and outreach coordinator, and also previously served as an assistant basketball coach at DeSoto Central High School.

“We can confirm that the December Grand Jury of DeSoto County has indicted Lindsey Whiteside on the charge of sexual battery of a minor child by a person of trust or authority,” DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton said in a statement. “Prior to this indictment, Lindsey Whiteside served as a youth ministry leader and basketball coach—positions that carry a profound responsibility to protect and guide others.”

Whiteside served as the assistant girls’ basketball coach at DeSoto Central High until she was hired by Getwell Church Hernando in August 2022.

Church members claim she was terminated after the sexual battery allegations arose.

Getwell Church did not immediately answer Action News 5’s calls for comment.

Whiteside faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Francis Young Accused of Sexually Abusing His Grandchildren

January 9, 2025 Black Collar Crime 0 Comments

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

In 2023, Francis Young, formerly a pastor at The Sanctuary Pentecostal Church (A United Pentecostal congregation) in Marble Falls, Texas was accused of sexually abusing his two grandchildren, both under the age of fourteen. His trial got underway last week.

The Highlander reports:

The trial of an elderly former preacher from a Marble Falls church started this week in 424th Judicial District Court.

Francis Young is on trial for alleged sex abuse of two children that reportedly began May 2023. The trial began Jan. 6 before a 12-member jury evenly divided between men and women.

Assistant District Attorney for the 33rd Judicial District, Carson Walker, is leading the prosecution. Local attorney Austin Shell is defending Young.

During his opening statement Jan. 6, Shell declared, in the absence of their parents, the 76-year-old Young was taking care of two of his grandchildren, one boy, one girl, both under 14.

Shell explained, Young realized both children apparently suffered from bladder difficulties, which made them prone to bed-wetting and urinary tract infections.

“He would clean them up,” Shell said. “He did things a grandfather should and would do.”

During subsequent months, several professional health care providers examined both children, the attorney added.

“Not one of them said anything about sexual assault,” Shell said. “There was not a boo-boo, a scratch of anything to indicate touching in any sexual way at all. Zero. This (trial) makes no sense to me. And, I am going to ask you (jury members) to send him (Young) home.”

However, during prior testimony removed from jury presence, the mother of both children recalled both children told her Young had “touched them in a bad way down there.”

“It happened a lot,” the mother said.

According to reports, Young was a preacher in Marble Falls at The Sanctuary Pentecostal Church until December 2022. The church confirmed he was a member but not in a leadership role at the time of his indictment in 2023.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Disciples of Christ Pastor Arturo Laguna Camas Accused of Voyeurism

January 5, 2025 Black Collar Crime 1 Comment

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Pastor Arturo Laguna Camas, pastor of the Casa De Adoración church in Phoenix, Arizona stands accused of multiple counts of voyeurism. Casa De Adoración is affiliated with the Disciples of Christ. Laguna Camas allegedly put video recording equipment in the women’s restroom.

Arizona’s Family reports:

Pastor Arturo Laguna Camas of the Casa De Adoración church is being charged with multiple counts of voyeurism.

According to Arizona law, these felony charges stem from invading someone’s privacy by recording or photographing without their permission for sexual stimulation.

These charges are class 5 felonies, which can range from a couple of months to a couple of years in prison, depending on the sentencing factors.

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Arizona’s Family stopped by the Casa de Adoracion church Friday; however, no one was inside at the time.

A grand jury indicted Laguna Camas, who already had his initial appearance.

Court records show the crimes occurred during October. He was arrested in early November.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Catholic Priest William Damroth Pleads Guilty to Grand Larcency

January 4, 2025 Black Collar Crime 2 Comments

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

William Damroth, the pastor of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Newburg, New York, pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny and will pay the church $300,000 in restitution.

The Hudson Valley Times reports:

Father William Damroth pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny charges on Dec. 17, and will pay $300,000 in restitution to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Newburgh. Damroth is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on March 18, 2025.

The case stemmed from an investigation that began in the summer of 2022 when the Archdiocese of New York conducted an audit and discovered financial discrepancies at the parish. Damroth, who served as pastor of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, which included Saint Francis and Sacred Heart churches in Newburgh, was transferred to Immaculate Conception Parish in Port Jervis that same summer.

Following news of the investigation, parishioners were informed by letters sent out by the archdiocese. Damroth stepped away from his duties during the investigation, which led to grand larceny charges in December 2023.

Damroth’s case is being handled in Orange County Court, with his next appearance scheduled before Judge Craig Brown. His defense attorney, Joseph Gulino confirmed the plea and explained that prosecutors had recommended five years of probation. However, Judge Brown imposed a split sentence: six months in Orange County Jail, followed by five years of probation.

A split sentence, also known as shock probation, involves serving part of the sentence in jail and the remainder on probation.

Gulino stated he plans to argue for straight probation at sentencing, citing mitigating circumstances, but withheld further details until then. He also clarified that the $300,000 restitution would cover all allegations against Damroth. Gulino did not provide specifics on how the funds were used, if at all.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Kevin McDonald and Accomplice Rob Bank

January 4, 2025 Black Collar Crime 2 Comments

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Kevin McDonald, the pastor of Landmark Church of the Nazarene in Phenix City, Alabama, and Linda Jenkins, stand accused of robbing the Phenix City Girard Bank.

The Roys Report reports:

A Nazarene pastor arrested by authorities in connection with the armed robbery of an Alabama bank had a female accomplice, according to news reports.

Kevin Robert McDonald, 40, entered the Phenix City Girard Bank with a handgun and demanded money, reported by News 3 WRBL. Police say an undisclosed amount of money was taken from the bank and no injuries were reported, according to the local news report.

McDonald was taken into custody in Columbus and was being held in the Russell County Jail on $100,000 bail, a jail employee confirmed.

A message left for a detective at the Russell County Sheriff’s Office after hours was not returned.

Also taken into custody was Lindsay Dara Jenkins in Columbus. The Occupational Therapy Assistant Physician faces a first-degree robbery charge, as reported by CNAW2 News.

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McDonald and his wife Jennifer pastored the Landmark Church of the Nazarene in Phenix City. Social media posts show the last mention of McDonald was April 2024. The church’s website does not identify McDonald in any pastoral or leadership role.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.