A Texas pastor has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of stealing three churches valued at over $800,000.
Whitney Foster, 56, who led the True Foundation nondenominational church in Dallas, was found guilty of property theft involving three local churches, according to Dallas County prosecutors.
Foster, whose congregation lacked a physical meeting place, was accused of filing fraudulent property deeds to seize real estate from three churches.
Prosecutors stated that Foster listed a fake pastor or church officials on the deeds and named his church as the grantee in his own name. The combined value of these properties exceeded $800,000.
The properties stolen included those of the First Christian Church in Lancaster, Canada Drive Christian Church, and Church at Ninevah. Two of these properties are still recorded in Foster’s name.
One of the properties continues to host Foster’s congregation, while the third remains entangled in legal issues due to his actions.
“Stealing real estate is an incredibly serious and damaging crime,” said John Creuzot, Dallas County criminal district attorney. “It’s worse than the theft of someone’s vehicle or other possessions. When someone steals property, we must hold them accountable because they are hurting people.”
Evidence presented to the jury included seven additional fraudulent acts beyond the three for which Foster was convicted. He has prior convictions for identity theft and arson.
In 2021, the pastor of the Lancaster church discovered that the congregation no longer owned their building, which had been deeded to another person for $10. The property, valued at $700,000 at the time, was transferred after someone impersonating the church chairman signed it over to a non-church member.
Foster claimed to a local television station that he believed the church building was vacant. “You can acquire a property for $10 with nonprofits,” Foster said. “The church is community property. … It wasn’t Whitney buying it. Our church was getting it. I was fixing to open up a church there.”
