Crooks Abounding

Former NAMB trustee sentenced for fraud
By Bob Allen
Monday, February 07, 2011

ST. LOUIS (ABP) – A former Southern Baptist pastor and North American Mission Board trustee was sentenced Feb. 4 to eight months in prison for mail fraud.

The United States Attorney’s Office in St. Louis announced the sentencing of Danny O’Guin, former pastor of Parker Road Baptist Church in Florissant, Mo. O’Guin pleaded guilty in November to one of four federal charges stemming from a scheme to get money from church members under false pretenses.

Prosecutors say O’Guin exploited his position as a religious leader to convince church members to loan him money despite their reservations about the transactions.

According to his indictment, O’Guin would tell elderly church members he needed loans to repair residences he owned out of state. He advised church members to “keep quiet” about the loans, and when they inquired about repayment he would borrow money from other church members to settle the debt.

In some cases he wrote letters promising repayment or sent checks with “mistakes” on them. In one instance, authorities say, he wrote a check for $1,125 to satisfy a debt of $10,125. When the lender pointed out the error, O'Guin sent a substitute check that bounced.

O'Guin was pastor of the suburban St. Louis congregation from 2006 until February 2009. He resigned after allegations against him prompted conflict in the church.

Before that O'Guin was pastor of Tower Grove Baptist Church in St. Louis for 10 years. He was elected as a trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board in 1999 and in 2003 and chaired the Missouri Baptist Convention's credentials committee in 2008.

In addition to prison, O’Guin was ordered to pay restitution of more than $100,000. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Postal Inspection Service.

Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.

http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6106/53/