U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt sentenced Noah A. Thomas, Jr. to 17 months in federal prison for mail fraud in connection with funds granted to the church he ministered, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.

Court documents also show that Thomas created a scheme to defraud the Church of the $35,000 Bush-Clinton grant funds for his own personal benefit by having the $35,000 check mailed to his house and then deposited into a bank account that he established and controlled.  Thomas created a similar scheme to defraud the church of the SBA loan money by having the SBA wire the initial $10,000 disbursement of the disaster loan into the same bank account.  Thomas spent at least $10,000 of the relief money on a new Dodge Durango for himself. 

According to the court documents, Thomas pleaded guilty on April 9, to a one-count bill of information.  Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Thomas was the pastor of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church. 

When Katrina hit, the congregation’s building at 2241 South Liberty Street in New Orleans was devastated by floodwater.  The church did not have flood insurance so the congregation applied for a SBA loan and a grant from the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund to offset the cost of rebuilding.  The church was awarded a $252,000 disaster loan from the SBA and a $35,000 grant from the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. 

The court sentenced Thomas to the 17 month prison term and ordered him to repay the funds over 60 monthly payments.