Dallas church thief sentenced to 35 years in prison in deed fraud scheme

Whitney Foster, a local pastor, told WFAA in a 2021 story that his $10 check paid for one of the churches. Author: Tanya Eiserer, Mark Smith The jury found Foster committed felony theft of $300,000. The indictment combined the theft of the three churches into a single case. Foster had earlier rejected a plea offer for a lesser punishment. He testified during the four-day trial in his defense. “Stealing real estate is just as much a theft as stealing someone’s purse or car,” prosecutor Phillip Clark told WFAA after the trial. “But it is much more complicated to unwind or fix.” Although Foster has been convicted, Clark said the churches are still having to untangle issues connected to the deed fraud. “The Canada Drive Christian Church congregation was completely booted out of their church building,” Clark said. “In the case with Lancaster, they are still trying to fix all the problems he created. Nineveh and Canada are still in his or his church’s name.” Besides the three churches, the Dallas County jury heard evidence during the punishment phase of the trial that seven other properties – mostly church buildings or lots owned by churches – had similar “hallmarks” of deed...