Pastor who obtained $3.5M in COVID relief funds, bought Tesla sentenced to prison
Rudolph Brooks, a 48-year-old pastor from Cheltenham, Maryland, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining over $3.5 million in COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program loans and using part of these funds to purchase a Tesla.
The sentencing also includes two years of supervised release and mandates the forfeiture of significant assets, including properties in Maryland.
Investigations revealed that from April 2020 to September 2021, Brooks, founder and senior pastor of the Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries in Washington, D.C., exploited the PPP by submitting falsified documents to obtain loans for businesses under his control, including a car dealership and a ministry, Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said in a statement.
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Brooks’ fraudulent activities centered around his businesses, Cars Direct by Gavawn HWD Bob’s Motors, Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries, and Madaro, LLC. He inflated employee numbers and payroll expenses on PPP loan applications, securing millions, which he then misused for personal expenses.
Notable purchases included a 2018 Tesla Model 3, a property in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and lavish spending on groceries, retail items and restaurant meals.
The CARES Act, under which Brooks committed the fraud, was enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans impacted by the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.
Brooks pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering, as per court records from the sentencing Tuesday. As a result, he was ordered by Judge Deborah L. Boardman to forfeit over $2 million, the Tesla vehicle and the real estate purchased with the fraudulently obtained funds.
The case against Brooks involved several federal agencies, including the FBI and the IRS.
Brooks was prosecuted by the District of Maryland Strike Force, one of three nationwide initiatives aimed at combatting pandemic-related fraud.
In an interview with The Impact’s Robin Dorsey on WBGR in 2018, Brooks said he knew he was called by God when he was about 4 or 5 years old. He further noted that he was raised in the church and his father was a minister.
His church’s website describes him as “a man after God’s own heart and has a passion for God’s people.”
“Pastor Brooks desires to see believers grow spiritually and desires to see the church function according to the word of the Lord. His intense love for the Lord, relentless spirit and ability to tap into the very heart of God make him a memorable speaker. With his love for God and lively preaching style, which can hold even the skeptics’ attention, Pastor Brooks speaks and shares the heart of God with compassion and conviction,” the church notes.
