Man sentenced in fraud scheme of Carrollton church

Donald Patrick Blair, 46, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1.5 million restitution for his role in a fraud scheme while he was employed at Christian Life Assembly of God in Carrollton.

“Blair’s unconscionable acts of thievery are now punished,” said U.S. Attorney John M. Bales in a statement. “Now, our goal will be to recover the stolen money for the parishioners of the church who had entrusted Blair with the church finances. The one thing that is difficult for the victims to recover is their trust in others in the future, all because of the appalling deceit and fraud of Blair.”

Blair, a Plano resident, pleaded guilty in March 2009 to charges of mail fraud and making false statements on his tax returns. According to information presented in court, between 2000 and 2007, Blair served as the business administrator for the church. During this time, he embezzled more than $1.2 million from the church by diverting these funds to his personal expenditures.

According to court documents, the church directed Blair to close two credit card accounts in 2006. He did not close the accounts, but instead, changed the address so that correspondence would come to his personal residence. He then used church funds to make payments for his own personal expenditures.

In connection with his scheme to defraud, Blair understated the amounts of his taxable income for tax years 2001 through 2006, thereby owing an additional $262,663 in taxes. 

The amount of restitution includes the amount stole from the church and the amount owed to the government for taxes.

“Like many other illegal activities, embezzlement is a crime that not only runs the risk of being punished for the underlying crime, but also for the subsequent tax evasion that

most criminals commit in trying to hide their criminal acts,” said Mike Lahey, special agent in charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Dallas Field Office.

Blair was ordered to surrender to the U.S. Marshal’s Service on Sep. 7, 2009 and he will be transported to federal prison to begin serving his sentence.

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