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Brooklyn pastor admits he embezzled $3 million from church daycare fund
NY Daily News ^ | December 16, 2025 | Roni Jacobson and Leonard Greene

Posted on 12/17/2025 6:05:30 AM PST by Salman

A Brooklyn pastor pleaded guilty Tuesday to embezzling $3 million over seven years from a day care associated with his church.

The Rev. Paul Mitchell, 60, admitted in federal court that he broke the Eighth Commandment — “Thou shall not steal” —while leading East New York’s Changing Lives Christian Center.

Prosecutors accused the pastor of pocketing money intended for the supervision and personal development of young people in the church’s care. Officials said he even used the embezzled funds to purchase his fiancée’s engagement ring.

“The defendant treated his organizations’ accounts as his own personal piggy bank, stealing millions of dollars and betraying the trust of his congregation and those dependent on the services provided to the community,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said in a statement.

“Our office will always be vigilant in protecting houses of worship from criminality that threatens the important work they do.”

Nocella said that between 2015 and 2022, Mitchell was using credit cards from both the church and the day care to pay for his personal expenses, including clothing, jewelry, luxury accessories and life insurance premiums.

...

(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; US: New York
KEYWORDS: changinglives; changingmoney; church; crime; fraud; newyork; nyc; paulmitchell; theft

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Not only he stole. He stole from poor people who he knew personally and worked with every day.
... Mitchell was among the clergy counseling Mayor Adams in the months after Adams was hit with federal corruption charges, even leading a prayer vigil to uplift the mayor and show support. ...


1 posted on 12/17/2025 6:05:30 AM PST by Salman
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To: Salman

Oh my, how usual.


2 posted on 12/17/2025 6:06:35 AM PST by AppyPappy (They don't call you a Nazi because they think you are one. They do it to justify violence. )
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To: Salman

Nothing tests honesty like cash near by.


3 posted on 12/17/2025 6:10:39 AM PST by Vaduz (?.)
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To: All

Mitchell

4 posted on 12/17/2025 6:12:06 AM PST by Liz ("Socialism is a wonderful idea. It's just that it's been disastrous" Thomas Sowell. )
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To: Salman

A United Methodist Pastor. Why send a kid to a daycare that believes in killing babies and indoctrinating the surviving kids with modern day hedonism?


5 posted on 12/17/2025 6:12:47 AM PST by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: Salman

“admitted in federal court that he broke the Eighth Commandment — “Thou shall not steal”

1 Timothy 6:10 NLT

[10] For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

-

Matthew 6:24 NLT

[24] “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.


6 posted on 12/17/2025 6:19:20 AM PST by V_TWIN (America........so great even the people that hate it won't leave)
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To: Salman

Anyone calling themselves reverend is suspect.


7 posted on 12/17/2025 6:19:23 AM PST by Dalberg-Acton
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To: Salman

My buddy the CPA took a job as the auditor for a large and rich Catholic diocese. His job is to look at the books in every church - they’ve seen things like this happen too many times before.


8 posted on 12/17/2025 6:20:41 AM PST by proxy_user
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To: Liz

I would never have guessed.


9 posted on 12/17/2025 6:23:30 AM PST by Albion Wilde (To live free is the greatest gift; to die free is the greatest victory. —Erica Kirk)
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To: Tell It Right

Why?

So he will learn to appreciate killing babies and taxing the wealthy


10 posted on 12/17/2025 6:27:50 AM PST by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Quid Quid Nominatur Fabricatur)
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To: Dalberg-Acton

Just look at Al not so Sharpton and William Barber the buffet slayer.


11 posted on 12/17/2025 6:30:25 AM PST by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
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To: Salman

Unfortunately, there is a long history in this country of con artists becoming “pastors” to get rich and powerful. Black and white. Being a pastor shields one from some scrutiny to a certain extent.


12 posted on 12/17/2025 6:31:28 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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To: Salman

Don’t worry, it was only Government money....


13 posted on 12/17/2025 6:32:22 AM PST by PGR88
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To: Salman

jewelry eh? If a minister has a lot of jewelry I’d say it’s a sign to avoid. A modest watch and a wedding ring would be acceptable. Beyond that the Spockian eyebrow gets raised.


14 posted on 12/17/2025 6:39:16 AM PST by xp38
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To: xp38
Remember this one?

‘False prophet’ pastor berates congregation for not buying him pricey new watch

15 posted on 12/17/2025 6:45:22 AM PST by TangoLimaSierra (⭐⭐To the Left, the Truth is Right Wing Violence⭐⭐)
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To: Albion Wilde

Who knew?


16 posted on 12/17/2025 7:05:25 AM PST by Liz ("Socialism is a wonderful idea. It's just that it's been disastrous" Thomas Sowell. )
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To: V_TWIN

If he doesn’t repent of his sin and show his desire to actually believe in, and follow Christ(maybe work to try and refund the money)his eternal sentence will be much worse than his earthly punishment. He has done a despicable thing.
God will forgive, and even bless, a sincere and repentant soul.


17 posted on 12/17/2025 7:41:44 AM PST by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and harder to find.)
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To: Salman

The Big Guy gonna pissed. Its right in the book, FAFO!


18 posted on 12/17/2025 8:47:01 AM PST by Delta 21 (None of us are descendants of fearful men!)
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To: Salman

Naughty naughty. Thou shall not steal is a good and still viable commandment that this so-called pastor conveniently forgot.


19 posted on 12/17/2025 3:36:36 PM PST by gildafarrell ("To Strive, To Seek, To Find and Not To Yield!")
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To: TangoLimaSierra

no but thanks for the link


20 posted on 12/18/2025 4:18:00 AM PST by xp38
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