A Maryland pastor, who swindled more than $3.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds to finance his extravagant lifestyle, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, the Maryland district attorney’s office announced last week.

Rudolph Brooks Jr., founder and senior pastor of the Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries in Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in August, the DA’s office reported.

Brooks, 48, swindled the money from Payroll Protection Program loans created during the pandemic, the DA’s office said. PPP loans were supposed to be used for mortgage payments, rent and utilities to enable businesses in need to survive.

He then used the illegally obtained money on personal expenses. The DA’s office reported that Brooks bought a 2018 Tesla Model 3 and property in an affluent Maryland town. He also spent excessive amounts at restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers.

As a part of his sentencing, Brooks was ordered by courts to forfeit more than $2 million from 17 bank accounts under his control. He also has to relinquish his Tesla and the Maryland property.

After he is released from prison, Brooks will be under two years of supervised release, the DA’s office added.

Brooks used church and other businesses to fake loans

Brooks was first arrested in 2021 for submitting falsified documents for businesses he operated, The Roys Report previously reported. He committed his crimes between April 2020 and September 2021, the DA’s office said.

Brooks used several businesses to apply for fraudulent PPP loans, including Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries, Cars Direct by Gavawn HWD Bob’s Motors, and a limited liability company called Madaro. He obtained the funds by inflating employee numbers and payroll expenses on his loan applications, according to the DA’s office.

He received more than $1.5 million in loan proceeds for Cars Direct, more than $1.8 for Kingdom Tabernacle and around $200,000 for Madaro. At each business, the money went into bank accounts for which Brooks was the sole signator, the DA’s office said.

Brooks covered up his misappropriation of the funds by laundering the loan proceeds, the DA’s office noted.

Besides misusing these funds for his lavish lifestyle, Brooks also transferred some of the money to other accounts under his control. For instance, he created a fake payroll account for Cars Direct and transferred $500,000 to it. However, no payroll expenses were paid from this account, the DA’s office said.

Additionally, Brooks transferred around $196,000 Car Direct PPP loan funds to his personal bank accounts. From this, Brooks bought his Tesla for around $60,000, according to the DA’s office.

Brooks also transferred $750,000 Kingdom Tabernacle PPP loan funds to an account he had sole control over. He used around $500,000 from here to buy property in Maryland.  

The case against Brooks involved multiple federal agencies, including the FBI and the IRS, the DA’s office stated.

Brooks’ church previously praised pastor’s character

While the Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration website has been taken down since Brooks’ arrest in 2021, archived versions of the site praise the pastor’s character.

“(Brooks’) intense love for the Lord, relentless spirit, and ability to tap into the very heart of God make him a memorable speaker,” the former church website said. “With his love for God and lively preaching style, which can hold even the skeptic’s attention, Pastor Brooks speaks and shares the heart of God with compassion and conviction.”

Prior to Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration, Brooks worked at Maryland Kingdom Tabernacle of Refuge Ministries in several roles. He served there as an ordained elder, assistant pastor, chair of finance, head of men’s ministry and teacher.

This piece is republished with permission from The Roys Report.

Liz Lykins is a correspondent covering religion news for The Roys Report, WORLD Magazine, and other publications.