Tulsa Pastor Indicted For Embezzling More Than $900,000

The pastor of the Greater Cornerstone Church in west Tulsa has been indicted for financial fraud.

Pastor Willard Lenord Jones, 63, is charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.

Jones is the executive director of the Greater Cornerstone Community Development Project, located on 41st West Avenue. The community center offers a range of social services, ranging from help with food and clothing to health services.

Court documents say as executive director, Jones solicited millions of dollars in donations for the center, then diverted $933,507.80 of those funds for his own use.

2/28/2011: Related Story: West Tulsa Community Center Project Breaks Ground

According to the indictment, Jones began using funds belonging to the community center in 2007, transferring money from community center bank accounts to church bank accounts and moving the money into his personal bank accounts. Prosecutors say Jones also withdrew large sums of money from the church bank accounts which he then spent on himself.

Prosecutors say Jones filed a false income tax return for 2011 in which he failed to report $390,061 in income.

The government says Jones spent some of the money on construction on his home. According to the indictment, the dates and amounts were:  

August 29, 2011: $6,201
September 6, 2011: $13,710 
October 5, 2011: $5,911 

Prosecutors say he also spent the money on luxury items including hotels, restaurants, casinos, cars and liquor.

The government says if convicted, Jones would have to forfeit his home in the 1900 block of North Santa Fe Place in Tulsa. He will also have to forfeit a Rolex 36MM watch as well as a mahogany mink full length fur coat with a "J J Jones" monogram with matching hat and gloves.

If convicted, Jones would also face up to 20 years on each of the wire fraud charges and three years on the charge of filing a false tax return.

A person who answered the phone at the Greater Cornerstone Community Development Project said the organization has no comment on the charges.