Dallas Pastor Accused Of Stealing Church Properties Sentenced To 35 Years Behind Bars

The Lord said, "Thou shall not steal."

A pastor from Dallas has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for stealing three church properties in Dallas County.

Prosecutors say Whitney Foster allegedly created fraudulent deeds to swindle the churches and take control of the properties. The church that started the case was First Christian Church of Lancaster in 2019. Law enforcement brought the case before the Dallas County DA’s Office, where investigators found Foster had targeted other churches across county lines.

Dallas County Assistant DA Phillip Clark said it’s amazing that First Christian took notice. “What he wanted people to think was that because he was a nonprofit that he had the ability and right to just move in on another nonprofit’s property,” Clark said.

The arrest warrant affidavit claimed the church told police someone with the alias “Aaron Finley” was claiming to be the chairman of the Lancaster church and sold the property to Foster for $10 in 2021. However, no one on the board went by that name.

In May 2024, Foster was found guilty of felony theft as the three properties were valued at more than $800,000. During his day in court, Foster said he thought the church was abandoned — although he attended a service and spoke with church leadership. “Showed up in their house of worship,” Clark said.

“Then days later, they find he filed this deed.” The other churches tied in with the scam are Church at Nineveh and Canada Drive Church, and as of June 10, both are still in Foster or his church’s name.

According to NewsNation, Foster was the pastor of a small congregation that never had a physical place to have worship services. Prosecutors said his congregation was meeting at one of the stolen properties, and one of the other churches is tied up in litigation due to Foster’s actions. Officials on the case released statements clarifying how important issues like this are. “Stealing real estate is an incredibly serious and damaging crime,” John Creuzot, Dallas County criminal district attorney, said.

“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.”

Clark shared similar thoughts: “Property ownership is a bedrock of our society.” “…it provides security, a home, a place to love and welcome each other,” Dallas County said. “It also represents a very active part of our economy, both in terms of buying, selling, and renting property, as well as property taxes that support everything our government does for the citizens of Dallas County.”

Foster gave an excuse for his actions during an interview with a local television station. “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.”