Judge says convicted Birmingham pastor must go to prison Friday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday declined to delay the start of a prison sentence for a prominent Birmingham pastor convicted of income tax fraud.

The Rev. Gregory Clarke, 53, pastor of the 6,000-member New Hope Baptist Church, is scheduled to report to prison on Friday to begin a 21-month sentence.

The Birmingham News reported on its Web site that Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Greene denied Clarke’s attempt to remain free on bond while he appeals his conviction.

Clarke was convicted in July of underreporting on his tax returns $110,000 in earned income during the years 2000, 2001 and 2002. Clarke’s attorneys contend the pastor received gifts and so-called “love offerings,” not pay, and that church officials approved giving Clarke $60,000 of the money in question.

Clarke’s attorneys had argued that he should remain free pending appeal because they said he is not a flight risk or a danger to society. Prosecutors, who opposed delaying the start of his imprisonment, said there were no questions of law or fact stemming from his conviction.

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