Roy E. Smith, 33, Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to a fifteen month period of imprisonment, to be followed by a five year period of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $290,952.40 on his conviction for bank fraud.
According to information presented to the court, Smith, a minister who was acting on behalf of his church, the Church of Dominion, which was formerly located in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, submitted false financial information and false information about church assets and indebtedness, to five banks in connection with eight loans obtained by him between September 2004 and September 2005. The loans, which totaled $824,000, were obtained by Smith in connection with his acquisition of the church facilities in Greensburg, Pennsylvania to which the Church of Dominion relocated in early 2005. Losses to the banks from several of the fraudulently obtained loans which have defaulted total approximately $290,952.40.
Prior to imposing sentence, United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti stated that the period of incarceration was necessary to address the seriousness of the offense, and to deter others from similar conduct.
I go to Pastor Roy Smith’s church. I figured you would like to know that my pastor’s conviction was overturned. My pastor was told by his mortage broker that the paperwork was up to par! SO it was the mortage broker who lied.
Pastor Smith’s conviction was NOT overturned. The appellate courts have no record of an appeal in his case. He did file a request to be allowed to serve the last 6 months of his sentence in a community facility or in home confinement, which was denied.
Actually, the request for the last 6 months was denied because the Camp where he was placed had already completed paperwork to release him 5 months prior to the end of his sentence. The judge denied his request because of these factors and added her own recommendation with that “denial” recomendidng him to be released to community custody. He was released on 8-14-07 with federal supervison until January 7, 2008. I know because I was at his release party at the church and saw him each week after that. He also worked at the church’s school. His total time away from home was only 8 months not 15. He has admitted his error in all of that stuff way back when it happened in 2005, and all the money went to the church properties not to him or his family, now let him get on with his life. I trust he will have learned from it and becomes even more succesful in his future. He is far from perfect, but I know he is forgiven.
Pastor Roy E. Smith is a true Man of God anyone close to him right now can see how he has grown so much in the last few years! Although I hope he hires an accountant to handle the churches money issues not amatures.