Bay Area woman pleads guilty to defrauding AME Zion Church

OAKLAND A -year-old Vallejo woman is facing up to five years in federal prison for her role in a scheme to defraud the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church prosecutors mentioned Related Articles Livermore drug bust nets mother and daughter East Bay woman gets months for fentanyl sale that led to -pound bust East Bay cops pursue shoot bank robbery suspect in San Jose Nonprofit ex-director charged with pocketing donation from Steph and Ayesha Curry to plead guilty Oakland man charged with shooting East Bay gangsters based on prison calls Sheila Quintana pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud a charge that was filed late last week according to the U S Attorney s Office Prosecutors disclosed Quintana along with co-defendant Staccato Powell of Wake Forest N C were officers of the West Episcopal District Inc an entity Powell formed in after his selection as bishop to AME Zion Church s Western Episcopal District Quintana served as the chief financial officer and Powell as the chief executive officer In pleading guilty Quintana admitted to fraudulently obtaining mortgages on AME Zion Church properties in San Jose Oakland Palo Alto Vallejo and Los Angeles prosecutors reported Quintana for example assisted with documents and transactions to use the First AME Zion Church in San Jose as collateral for a loan to purchase a home for the congregation s new pastor Prosecutors stated Quintana drafted a fake resolution on the congregation s letterhead stating the pastor was permitted to sign all documents relating to real estate transactions following a unanimous vote by the membership While the paperwork was being processed Quintana learned the AME Zion Church of Los Angeles held a title interest in the property She prepared another fake resolution stating the Los Angeles church called a membership meeting in October and voted to deed the San Jose church to WED Inc prosecutors announced Using the resolutions WED Inc obtained a loan the proceeds of which were used to buy the home prosecutors stated The San Jose congregation later disputed the transaction including the assertion the membership voted unanimously to approve the resolution Prosecutors explained Quintana also admitted that between September and June in recognition of the amount of time she had spent assisting Powell in the business of the district she prepared and signed three checks drawn on WED Inc s bank account The checks were payable to Quintana s spouse and totaled In July WED Inc filed a bankruptcy petition which claimed its assets included churches a parsonage and Powell s residence prosecutors announced The petition stated WED Inc had property worth million and debts totaling million Quintana and Powell were indicted by a grand jury in January on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and two counts of mail fraud prosecutors declared adding that Powell was indicted on an additional count of mail fraud Prosecutors announced Quintana faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine She is next scheduled to appear in court on July for a status hearing