In a somber turn of events for a Brooklyn community, Paul Mitchell, the pastor at the helm of a local church and president of a daycare, admitted his role in a tax evasion operation. It was in the halls of federal court where he owned up to the charges laid against him. Chief Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon presided over the plea proceedings, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Mitchell now faces the possibility of five years in prison, along with an obligation to pay restitution and further financial penalties for his conduct. His disgrace comes not just as one who led a congregation, but as one who directed an education center for children. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr., labeled Mitchell's actions as a clear betrayal, "The defendant treated his organizations’ accounts as his own personal piggy bank, stealing millions of dollars and betraying the trust of his congregation and those dependent on the services provided to the community," Nocella stated in the details shared by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI New York, Harry T. Chavis, Jr., chimed in on Mitchell's deceit, emphasizing the multi-layered nature of his fraud. "Paul Mitchell was trusted by his parishioners to use their donations for good, not to fatten his wallet," Chavis Jr. expressed, underscoring the extent to which the pastor exploited that trust for personal gain. According to court documents, from 2015 to 2022, Mitchell shored up his finances through the exploitation of non-profit funds, using them for personal extravagances such as luxury clothing and life insurance premiums.
The reverberations of his deceit were felt not merely in the sacred halls where he preached or across the playful chatter of children's daycare, but also in the coffers of public duty. The prosecution's filings suggest that Mitchell's actions cost the IRS and New York State a combined tax loss nearing $3.2 million. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miranda Gonzalez and Trial Attorney Catriona M. Coppler of the Justice Department's Criminal Division Tax Section, oversee this case, as it moves towards sentencing and conclusion, promising a measure of justice for those wronged by the once revered figure.
