Memphis Pastor Arrested for Identity Theft and Theft of Merchandise
Steven Flockhart, a pastor who once was a contestant on American Idol and The Voice, was arrested last week for two felony charges.
Steven Flockhart, pastor of 901 Church in Memphis, Tennessee, was arrested last week on one count of identity theft and one count of theft of merchandise between $2,500 and $10,000.
Steven Flockhart / Video screengrab
Flockhart, 39, was arrested on Thursday, November 2 and posted a $2,000 bond the next day. He was supposed to be arraigned before a Shelby County judge Monday morning, according to reporting by USA Today.
Tennessee state law makes identity theft a class D felony.
In 2012, Flockhart was a contestant on “American Idol” and NBC’s “The Voice.” However, the church website says, “God made it clear that he was supposed to walk away from what could have been a very prominent music career, and that he was supposed to [p]astor and [l]ead people to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
An affidavit by the victim obtained by WMC news claims the incident leading to the arrest occurred three years ago and involved opening a credit card account.
The victim, who was also a church member, claims Flockhart requested his personal information in order to open a joint credit card for the church’s use.
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Recently, the victim learned his credit score dropped significantly. He discovered an open credit card through PayPal that had a nearly $6,500 unpaid bill.
The victim claims he confronted Flockhart, who he says admitted to using the victim’s name to open the account without his permission.
A statement posted on the church’s Facebook page November 3 said the church did not find the allegations made by Dana Mark McCall to be factual. It said the church would hold its Sunday services as usual.
“Please pray for our pastor and his family, for the hearts of those who seek to attack him and the church, and our community,” the statement read.
The church’s website does not list a denominational affiliation, but does include a statement of beliefs about God, salvation, the church, baptism, eternity, and other commonly-held Christian doctrines.
