A Missouri pastor who sold financial products on the side has confessed to wire fraud rather than face trial.
Until Thursday, Staley, 40, who rents a $1 million home after making excuses for a foreclosed house and unpaid taxes, blamed complaints on “enemies of the Father.”
But rather than face trial, Staley stood in a federal courtroom packed with supporters here Thursday and pleaded guilty of four counts of wire fraud. He admitted that, as owner of a financial consulting firm, he had cheated 16 investors out of $3.3 million while making $570,000 for himself.