A priest who embezzled $3.5million in Covid relief money to fund his reclusive lifestyle has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Rudolph Brooks, 48, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering last week after taking advantage of the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Brooks was arrested in April 2021 for fraudulently obtaining PPP loans after submitting falsified documents for businesses under his control, the Justice Department said.
He received $3.5 million after increasing the number of employees and payroll costs on his loan applications. He then used the funds on personal expenses including a 2018 Tesla Model 3, property in an affluent town in Maryland, and heavy spending at restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers.
Brooks, founder and senior pastor at the Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration church, was also ordered to forfeit more than $2 million, the Tesla and real estate he bought with the fraudulently obtained funds, court records from his sentencing showed.
The fraud was not connected to Brooks’ position in the church.
Rudolph Brooks, 48, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering after taking advantage of the Covid Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Brooks, founder and senior pastor at the Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration church, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Tuesday, August 27. He is pictured preaching during a service at the church
He received $3.5 million after increasing the number of employees and payroll costs on his loan applications. He then used the funds on personal expenses including a 2018 Tesla Model 3 property, (stock image) in the affluent town of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and heavy spending on restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers.
Brooks admitted to using PPP loan proceeds for his personal benefit and for payments and purchases that were not permitted under the program, DOJ filings state.
In addition to using funds to purchase a residence, luxury vehicle and other lavish shopping expenses, Brooks made withdrawals and transfers to other bank accounts under his control.
He pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering on August 27.
A judge ordered the priest to spend 18 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered the forfeiture of several assets.
Brooks applied for the PPP loan under a Maryland-based car dealership he owns called Cars Direct in May 2020, court documents revealed.
He obtained a $1.5 million PPP loan, which was deposited directly into a Cars Direct bank account of which he was the sole signatory, after submitting fake tax and payroll forms related to the dealership.
Brooks applied for the PPP loan through his Maryland-based car dealership, Cars Direct, Kingdom Tabernacle (pictured) and a company called Madaro, LLC
Brooks received a $1.5 million PPP loan in May 2020, which was deposited directly into a Cars Direct bank account of which he was the sole signatory, after submitting fake tax and payroll forms related to the dealership. He then transferred money from these Cars Direct accounts into his own personal accounts and used the funds on credit card bills
He fraudulently applied for two more CPP loans for $1.8 million and $200,000. Those funds were deposited into accounts belonging to Kingdom Tabernacle and Madaro, LLC, both of which he was the sole signatory to.
He then opened a bank account under the name Párolla with BJM, into which he transferred $500,000 of the loan funds. He also opened additional bank accounts using the name Cars Direct to which he transferred loan funds.
Brooks then transferred money from these Cars Direct accounts into his own personal accounts and used the funds on credit card bills, at restaurants, retail stores, grocery stores, car auctions and mortgage payments on his home.
His purchases included a $507,010 property in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, purchased in the name of Rudolph Brooks, and a 2018 Tesla Model 3, purchased for $60,407 in his son’s name. The vehicle was later registered in Maryland in Brooks’ own name.
Under the federal government’s PPP loan requirements, funds are to be used for payroll costs, mortgage interest, rent and utilities.
Brooks allegedly attempted to obtain funds through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIJD) program, court records state.
He applied for the loans through Cars Direct and Kingdom Tabernacle, but the Small Business Administration rejected both applications due to ‘unsatisfactory credit history’.
Brooks, pictured delivering a sermon, was ordered to serve 18 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He also had to forfeit more than $2 million, the Tesla and real estate he bought with the fraudulently obtained funds, court records from his sentencing showed.
The website and Facebook pages associated with Kingdom Tabernacle were taken down shortly after his arrest, DailyMail.com previously revealed.
A cached version of the websites described Brooks as ‘a man after God’s own heart’ who has a ‘passion for God’s people’.
‘From a very young age Pastor Brooks knew he had a vocation for ministry,’ the site said. ‘People will be saved before the altar call because the Word of the Lord was so rich in them.’
At a previous church in Maryland, Brooks was the assistant pastor who oversaw the church’s finances, according to his now-defunct site biography.
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