By TCR Staff
On September 14, 2026, Rev. Keith Rydell Mayes, Sr., 63, former pastor of Vernon AME Church in Tulsa, pleaded guilty to Bank Fraud and Tax Evasion in the Norther District Court of Oklahoma.
Mayes was appointed the Pastor of the historic Tulsa-based church, Vernon AME Church, in October 2021 and surrendered his pulpit upon the request of the 12th Episcopal District in May 2026 during the federal investigation. A new pastor was subsequently appointed in June 2026. Mayes was responsible for various church functions, including overseeing church finances and managing church donations, collections, and disbursements of funds. Shortly after joining the church, Mayes opened a new account at the bank titled, “Administrative Expenses.” He was the only authorized signer on the bank account and used his personal residence as the mailing address. Mayes then solicited, obtained, and deposited voluntary donations by others, including church members and charitable organizations, into the Administrative Expenses account.
In one instance, a church donor and the donor’s financial advisor contacted Mayes regarding a stock donation to the Church. After the conversation, Mayes opened a new brokerage account in the Church’s name to enable receipt of the intended donation. Court documents show that Mayes received $365,000 in stock transfers from that donor in 2021 and 2022. Mayes then liquidated the proceeds, deposited the funds into the Church’s bank account, and embezzled most of the proceeds for personal use.
From at least March 2022 through at least November 2025, Mayes embezzled more than $504,000. Court documents show that he used the money to support his gambling habits, pay personal expenses, and to purchase firearms. Mayes did not report this illegal income to the Internal Revenue Service, leaving him owing more than $205,000 in unpaid taxes.
The plea agreement filed shows that Mayes agreed to forfeit the firearms and ammunition purchased with the fraudulent funds, and to repay $504,313.88 for all of his embezzlement activities including restitution to Vernon AME Church, Tulsa and High Hills AME Church, Dalzell South Carolina. $205,765.60 in back taxes is owed to the Internal Revenue Service.
After Mayes’s appearance in court, the judge released him on bond, where he is supervised by the United States Probation and Pretrial Service. A federal district court judge will schedule Mayes’ sentencing hearing for a later date. With the guilty plea he is now subject to AME Church internal disciplinary proceedings, which has been confirmed by the 12th Episcopal District Office in a statement to TCR.
In a statement released by his attorney, Rev. Mayes stated the following: “Rev. Mayes with [this] guilty plea to all charges accepts full responsibility for his conduct and will pay a great price for his transgressions. He offers no excuses except to say PLEASE do not let my personal weakness in any way shape or form distract from the great things that the most historic Black church in this great country has achieved and will continue to achieve.”
With reporting from the US Department of Justice and the Tulsa World.
