Church founder pleads guilty to laundering drug money

on Wednesday, January 10, 2007
LEBANON, Ohio - The founder of a Middletown church accused of laundering drug money by renting a home to a convicted drug dealer has pleaded guilty to three felonies and could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The Rev. Keith L. Brooks, 52, pastor of Power of Deliverance Temple/Judah Sanctuary of Praise pleaded guilty Monday in Warren County Common Pleas Court to one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and two counts of money laundering. Sentencing was set for Feb. 16.

Prosecutors dismissed 43 other counts of money laundering, one for each month Brooks received $2,000 in rent from an alleged drug dealer who lived in a house owned by Brooks.

James Scott was indicted on drug charges in October after Warren County Drug Task Force investigators seized $46,000 from a safe and a quantity of crack cocaine from the house Scott rented from Brooks.

Scott was free on $50,000 bond during his trial when he fled while a jury was deliberating the nine counts of drug trafficking and drug possession against him.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/16418268.htm

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