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.
Where were the Trustees and church officers? The Pastor shouldn’t be managing the finances in an AMEC.
My God! When and where will this greed end?
One of the presentence release conditions that the judge SHOULD have imposed should have been not referring to himself as Reverend.
Matthew 12:31-32
New International Version
And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Definitely, and by all Means, all the Entire methodist churches (look warm Church) have Always been out of the order from The WORD OF The LORD GOD OF HEAVENS JESUS CHRIST and if they Don’t Repent and ask forgiveness for their sins, the LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST will cast Them in the lake of brimstone and fire. Rev. 21: 8
So has every denomination and independent “church” that causes each and every member to continually break the 4th Commandment week after week after week! God Almighty established the 7th Day as the Sabbath Day and it was coercively changed in the 300s AD by the Roman Catholic Church! Who by the way is THE Beast of Revelations with its many popes and THE MAIN POPE who will be serving when Jesus Christ returns to end pain, death, destruction and tears once and for all! I was raised Southern Baptist and the Lord has been revealing many things to me the past 18 years and this world has not seen destruction that’s coming all across the globe at one time in places people have and have not heard of!
Not ALL of the “ENTIRE Methodist churches have been out of the order of the Word of God”…
Looks like it wad a ATM to him. He to say Im sorry and people will let it slide. This seems to be the pattern.
Now why did he do that
A gambler is like someone who smokes crack, but without the crack. He just needs one more try in gamblering. ONE IS TO MANY AND A THOUSANDS ISN’T ENOUGH !!
Praise Jesus ….. There is no place for wrath in the house of Christ.
Sell all you have, give everything away, and come follow me.
When true men of God, and I’m not talking about wealthy people that are true and honorable Christians, those men who profess to preach his word as a vocation, when they tell you that Christ wants to be and has made them millionaires, they are liars, Pharisees, squatters in the house of the Lord. Away from them and follow the homeless man who speaks the words of God, follow the prostitute quote, the words of the apostle Paul.