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Local priest fired and arrested for alleged church fraud

The former pastor of Springfield Missionary Baptist Church1801 Emerson St., was arrested Tuesday on charges that he defrauded the church by, among other things, taking out unauthorized loans on its property.

Emmitt Williams III, of south suburban Olympia Fields, turned himself in to Evanston police and was arraigned at the Skokie Courthouse on a felony count of loan fraud, said EPD Cmdr. Ryan Glew confirmed to the RoundTable. He was released pending a second appearance scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

His arrest comes months after he was fired as the church's pastor on Jan. 21 for “breach of his fiduciary duties.” In the termination letter, a copy of which was provided to the RoundTable, Warren Pitts, chairman of the board of trustees, wrote that Williams had “deviated from the ethical standards and responsibilities expected of him” by:

  • Opening an unauthorized checking account in the name of the church;
  • He applied to the Illinois Secretary of State for a “certificate of dissolution or revocation” of the church, falsely representing himself as the church’s “president.” And
  • Taking out three unauthorized mortgages on the church property totaling $178,000.

“These violations have had or will have a detrimental impact on the trust the community and leadership had in your leadership,” Pitts wrote in the letter. “It is our duty to maintain the highest standards of integrity within our organization, and unfortunately your actions have fallen short of these expectations.”

Real estate records filed with the Cook County Clerk's Office confirm that the three mortgages listed in the cancellation letter were taken out between January and April 2023, and public records from the Secretary of State's office confirm that Williams appointed himself as the church's corporate representative and gave up his title as “president.” two forms submitted in April 2023.

Because the total amount of the mortgages is more than $100,000 and less than $500,000, the loan fraud charge is classified as a Class 1 felony Illinois Penal Code and is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and a prison sentence of between four and 15 years. At the time of writing, it could not be confirmed whether additional charges will be filed against Williams.

You can read the full termination letter with personal information redacted below.

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