Former AME Zion Bishop Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud Churches

Former Vallejo High School principal Sheila Quintana has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud congregations of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and private lenders. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California announced the plea, which was entered last Tuesday. Quintana, 71, of Vallejo, and co-defendant Staccato Powell, 65, of Wake Forest, N.C., were indicted in January 2022 for conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Powell, a former bishop of the AME Zion Church, was accused of leading the scheme.

Prosecutors allege that Powell and Quintana acquired 13 properties and secured loans using church properties in San Jose, Oakland, Palo Alto, and Los Angeles. These actions were done without the consent of congregations and despite their objections. Quintana is set to appear in court on July 15 for a status hearing. She faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, a reduction from a previously proposed 20-year sentence. She has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors while Powell’s case remains pending. An attorney for Powell has not responded to requests for comment.

As part of her guilty plea, Quintana admitted to assisting Powell in misleading church leaders into signing over property deeds and forging documents to falsely show that congregations had approved loans against their church properties. Together, they allegedly obtained fraudulent mortgages on churches across California. The first documented case of fraud in the litigation occurred in Vallejo in 2017. Quintana secured a $500,000 mortgage using Kyles Temple in Vallejo and Greater Cooper in Oakland as collateral to help purchase a $1.5 million residence in Granite Bay intended as an episcopal home for Powell, according to court documents.

The loan was signed in March 2017, even though the temple’s pastor and members later discovered and objected to the arrangement. Pastor Gail Jack, who currently leads Kyles Temple, stated that “those issues have since been resolved” and that “the church dealt with” Powell. A new bishop has since taken his place. Jack added that the congregation is “praying for her” and declined to provide further comment.

Prosecutors also revealed that Powell established a nonprofit called Western Episcopal District Inc. (WED) in 2016, naming himself CEO and appointing Quintana as a key figure in the organization. The details of WED’s activities and its connection to the fraudulent schemes remain under investigation. The case highlights the misuse of church resources and the need for accountability within religious institutions.

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