In a story that rattles both pews and public trust, a well-known Brooklyn pastor has admitted to pocketing millions in church and daycare funds while dodging his tax obligations.

Pastor Paul Mitchell of the Changing Lives Christian Center pleaded guilty Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court to tax evasion charges stemming from years of personal misuse of millions in revenue from his church and affiliated daycare center, as Newsday reports.

Federal prosecutors detailed a pattern of behavior between 2015 and 2022 in which Mitchell not only failed to report more than $5 million in gross receipts but also neglected to pay nearly $3.3 million in taxes—$2.9 million federally and $316,000 at the state level.

Church Leader Turned Tax Dodger

According to court documents, Mitchell used nonprofit resources as his private expense account, with purchases that included more than $929,000 in life insurance for him and his wife, a $795 luxury watch, and thousands in jewelry and clothing.

In one instance, he even used $43,000 of church funds to pay off his own past-due federal and state taxes, raising serious questions about financial stewardship under the guise of faith.

“I made personal purchases with the entities’ resources,” Mitchell admitted during his court appearance, a statement both honest and devastating in its own right.

Granting Himself Generous Perks

U.S. Chief Magistrate Vera M. Scanlon presided over the hearing and released Mitchell on his own recognizance, pending a follow-up status conference scheduled for January 16.

Scanlon warned Mitchell, a Jamaican-born naturalized U.S. citizen, that the guilty plea may jeopardize his American citizenship—a stark consequence for someone once praised on his ministry's website as “a man of integrity and uprightness.”

And yes, that same bio commended him for seeking “to honor and obey God in all his ways.” One wonders if the 14K gold engagement ring he bought using church and daycare money was purchased during one of those moments of devotion.

Prosecutors Outline Lavish Spending Habits

Mitchell didn’t just bend the rules—he bulldozed through them by writing checks from church accounts to pay off credit card bills and treating his tax returns like suggestions rather than legal obligations.

In fact, prosecutors noted he filed fraudulent tax documents, skipped grand jury proceedings by waiving his right, and now faces several years in prison as part of a plea deal that still awaits approval by a district court judge.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. didn’t mince words, stating, “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.”

Respect for Faith Requires Integrity

Before pastoring, Mitchell worked as a banker for 14 years—a career that should have given him a firm understanding of finances and fiduciary duty, not just the scriptures.

Ironically, his background in finance likely made the thefts more sophisticated, raising the stakes and the damage done to his congregation and the many who trusted his community outreach programs.

His church's daycare center, designed to support hardworking parents, became yet another funding stream for personal indulgences—men’s clothing, gold rings, luxury items—all at the expense of those who needed help the most.

Mitchell’s attorney, Roger V. Archibald, has remained silent, declining to comment on his client’s downfall from pulpit to prosecution. The silence is as loud as the betrayal.