Apparently it’s going to take more than blaming the devil to get Bishop Thomas Weeks off the hook with the authorities.
A Fulton County grand jury indicted the husband of national evangelist Juanita Bynum for what Bynum said was an attack on her in the parking lot of an Atlanta hotel.
Weeks faces one count of aggravated assault, one count of terroristic threats and two counts of simple battery in connection with the Aug. 22 incident at the Renaissance Concourse Hotel.
Weeks fled the scene before police arrived, but later told members of his congregation the devil had been responsible for his actions.
The charges against him carry a maximum possible sentence of 27 years.
Weeks’ church was also facing possible eviction before the alleged attack.
According to police and court records, Weeks, 41, was struggling to pay the bills since he and Bynum separated three months ago.
Weeks was evicted from his home in Duluth in late June. And he was close to losing the church he built with his wife.
An attorney representing the landlord for Global Destiny Church in Duluth said Friday that Weeks had received several notices that he was in violation of his lease agreement for the church for nonpayment of funds. GrimesSquare Executive Inc. proceeded with an eviction lawsuit when the matter was not resolved within its timeline.
“I wrote the letter to comply with the law,” said Stephanie Friese, attorney for GrimeSquare Executive. “I am sure they did others.”
According to court records, Friese backed up the threat of eviction on Aug. 23. She filed a lawsuit against Weeks in Gwinnett County Civil Court that started eviction proceedings “for the non-payment of rent,” Friese said.
Two days later, Weeks was facing litigation again — for allegedly beating his wife after they met at the Concourse Renaissance Hotel in Atlanta to discuss what family has described as “personal business.”
Friese, the attorney for the landlord, called the incident “coincidental.”
Weeks turned himself in to police last Friday at the Fulton County Courthouse and was released on a $40,000 bond. He was charged with two felonies — aggravated assault for allegedly beating, choking and stomping Bynum and making terrorist threats for threatening to kill her, police said.
Bynum’s publicist did not have a comment early Friday.
Weeks could not be reached for comment. However, his attorney, Ed Garland, said he is not aware of any money problems Weeks may be having.
“I have not concerned myself with his financial status,” Garland said.
Garland said Weeks and Bynum discussed many things the night of the alleged incident. He said he did not know about a possible eviction from the church.
“They had been meeting a couple of hours discussing everything about their relationship,” he said. “There was a huge number of things being talked about.”
An out-of-court deal was reached Friday to stop the eviction proceedings against Global Destiny, Friese said.
“This morning the parties reached an agreement,” he said. “The settlement document has already been signed.”
Friese would not discuss whether GrimeSquare Executive received full payment for the church’s rent and other fees under the lease or whether Weeks was put on a payment plan. The bishop continued to have church services there. The church is located at 4830 Rivergreen Parkway in Duluth.
“If he complies with the terms of the settlement, he will be able to remain in possession,” she said.