A former pastor in Kentucky has been sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison for fraud and tax offenses.U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Cincinnati Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, announced the sentencing.
According to court documents, Marvin Upton, 58, of Crofton, Kentucky, and Pastor at Crofton Pentecostal Church, was sentenced for three counts of bank fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns.
The bank fraud charges stemmed from a scheme between 2013 and 2016, where Upton defrauded an elderly parishioner suffering from dementia. During the same period, he also filed multiple false tax returns, failing to report income gained from the fraudulent activities.
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Upton was ordered to pay $500,000 in restitution to the victim’s estate and $222,037 in restitution to the IRS.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the National Elder Justice Task Force and the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative aims to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud. The Kentucky Task Force, comprised of investigators and prosecutors at the local, state, and federal levels, focuses on protecting senior citizens across the state.
There is no parole in the federal system.
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