Former Tulsa pastor pleads guilty to embezzling $504K from Vernon AME Church

Keith Rydell Mayes Sr., 63, the former senior pastor of the historic Vernon AME Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion. Federal prosecutors stated that Mayes embezzled more than $504,000 from the congregation between March 2022 and November 2025.

Mayes allegedly diverted funds by establishing an unauthorized “Administrative Expenses” bank account, which he controlled as the sole signer using his home address. He used this account to deposit donations from church members and charitable organizations. One significant transaction involved a $365,000 stock transfer from a donor.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church’s 12th Episcopal District issued a statement clarifying that Mayes’ actions were not authorized by the church leadership or the congregation. The church, a significant institution in the Greenwood district that survived the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, remains operational under new pastoral leadership and has reviewed its financial practices.