SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A former pastor in Sumner County has been sentenced to prison for stealing funds from a food bank he was once in charge of, officials said.

On Friday, Aug. 1, two assistant district attorneys secured felony convictions in Sumner County Criminal Court against 83-year-old James Gill.

According to Sumner County District Attorney General Ray Whitley, a judge has ordered Gill to serve 12 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction after the 83-year-old pleaded guilty to theft of property over $60,000 and patronizing prostitution.

Officials said Gill was the former executive director of the Sumner County Food Bank (SCFB) and senior pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Gallatin.

In May 2022, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation began investigating allegations that Gill was using charitable donations, which were meant to serve vulnerable residents, to make personal purchases.

Amid the investigation, TBI agents reportedly discovered that Gill issued checks to himself and others, redirected food bank funds to accounts he controlled, used food bank resources to pay a volunteer in exchange for sexual services, made extensive personal purchases using the food bank's debit card and paid for improvements to his residence with food bank funds.

According to Whitley, the SCFB was a nonprofit that was established in 2009 by Gill and members of Liberty Baptist Church. The organization was reportedly operated almost entirely by volunteers.

Records obtained between February 2020 and May 2022, showed that Gill authorized the misappropriation of charitable assets, including:

• Over $200,000 in payments to himself
• $130,000 to the director of operations
• $40,000 to the food bank's treasurer
• Nearly 100 checks made out to "cash," which were all endorsed by Gill
• Purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado for personal use, directly from the nonprofit's account

In 2022, Gill announced the food bank's closure, citing health concerns as the reason. The First Baptist Church of Hendersonville reportedly formed a new nonprofit, Feed Sumner Food Bank and Ministry, to continue distributing food in the county.

To support its launch, equipment and vehicles from SCFB were sold to Feed Sumner Food Bank. However, church leaders allegedly discovered that even though more than $300,000 had been deposited from asset sales, only $28,000 remained in SCFB's account.

According to Whitley, Liberty Baptist Church officials reviewed SCFB's bank records and reported their findings to law enforcement. In February 2023, TBI agents executed a search warrant at Gill's residence in Bethpage, where they reportedly found approximately $114,000 in cash hidden in a safe.

“Abuse of public trust—especially involving charitable organizations—will be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law by this office,” said Assistant District Attorney Thomas Dean.

Whitley added that more than $300,000 has been recovered through "judicial forfeiture" from Gill and his co-defendants. News 2 previously reported that three more people were arrested for allegedly stealing from the food bank in July 2023.

The misappropriated funds will be transferred directly to Feed Sumner Food Bank and Ministry, officials said.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/former-sumner-county-pastor-sentenced-after-stealing-funds-from-food-bank/