Ex-AME Zion Church leaders charged with $14M fraud

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A former bishop and lay leader of an historically African American church have been charged with defrauding California congregations by mortgaging their properties in order to obtain $14 million in loans. Authorities say ex-bishop Staccato Powell of North Carolina and Sheila Quintana of Vallejo, California, were arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiracy and fraud. Prosecutors say that the pair obtained deeds for properties owned by congregations of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. They’re accused of using the assets to obtain more than $14 million in loans they spent on personal expenses. Prosecutors say congregations that had paid off mortgages years earlier ended up saddled with debt.