Florida: pastor charged with theft

A well-respected Liberty City pastor was arrested late Thursday and charged with stealing $10,000 earmarked for the low-income area, according to WFOR-CBS4.

The Rev. Gaston Smith, senior pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, faces second-degree grand theft charges.

Smith, 41, had been under investigation for several weeks by the public corruption unit of the Miami-Dade state attorney’s office, sources told The Miami Herald. They were tracing money as part of a larger investigation on public corruption in the city of Miami.

The state attorney’s office has been investigating controversial loans made by the Metro Miami Action Plan Trust. Two years ago, the trust presented Smith with a check at his church to be used for his congregation’s financial needs.

According to WFOR-CBS4, Smith took a $25,000 county grant that was supposed to go to his nonprofit group Friends of MLK. The money was to be used to buy fliers and posters for community outreach, to help start an Internet website to promote local efforts, for an MLK fundraiser and to coordinate a senior citizens community garden.

Instead, Smith is accused of pocketing most of the money.

Smith’s attorney, Lewis Tein, told WFOR-CBS4 that his client is innocent.

”Absolutely zero. Not a penny, not a nickel, not a dime. Every single dollar is accounted for. One hundred percent,” Tein told the TV station.

Smith is also a chaplain with the city of Miami Police Department. Just last month, he was asked to speak at the funeral of slain Miami Detective James Walker Jr.

Smith has received honors from the U.S. Congress, Miami-Dade County, the city of Miami and the Congressional Black Caucus.

In 2007, Smith was honored with a Pillar award by the Black Heritage Planning Committee of Miami-Dade County’s Black Affairs Advisory Board, for his contributions to the South Florida community.

Smith was booked into the jail at 10:43 p.m. Thursday and posted $7,500 bond.

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