A 63-year-old former pastor of Vernon African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Keith Rydell Mayes Sr., has pleaded guilty to diverting more than $504,000 from the historic church, which survived the 1921 Tulsa Race ma§§acre.
Mayes pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion on September 14, 2026, after federal prosecutors established that he misappropriated $504,313.88 between March 2022 and November 2025.
According to prosecutors, Mayes, who became the church’s senior pastor in October 2021, opened a bank account labelled Administrative Expenses shortly after assuming office.
He was the sole authorised signatory and allegedly used the account to collect donations without the knowledge of the church’s governing leadership.
One major transaction involved a donor who contributed $365,000 worth of stocks to the church in 2021 and 2022. Mayes reportedly liquidated the shares, deposited the proceeds into a church account and diverted most of the funds for personal use.
Investigators said he spent the stolen money on gambling, personal expenses and firearms. He also failed to declare the funds as income, resulting in more than $205,000 in unpaid federal taxes.
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👉 JOIN WHATSAPP CHANNELUnder his plea agreement, Mayes agreed to repay $504,313.88, including $205,765.60 owed to the IRS, and forfeit f+rearms and ammunition purchased with the money.
Reacting to the case, the church’s 12th Episcopal District distanced its leadership from the financial dealings, with Bishop Silvester Scott Beaman stating that the actions described in the federal case were not authorized by the congregation or the leadership of Vernon A.M.E. Church.
The district also confirmed that Mayes stopped serving as pastor in May 2026 and that the church had reviewed its financial procedures.
Vernon AME holds historical significance as its basement survived the 1921 massacre, during which Greenwood’s Black community was destroyed. The congregation later rebuilt the church above the surviving basement.
The district urged the public not to allow the scandal to overshadow the institution’s legacy, saying, “We ask that the actions of one individual not be allowed to define a church that has served Tulsa for more than 120 years.”
Mayes was released on bond and remains under supervision pending sentencing.
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