Gregory Neal, Wire Fraud, New Hampshire 2023

Barrington, NH – In a shocking case of betrayal, Gregory Neal, a 45-year-old Executive Pastor at Journey Baptist Church in Barrington, New Hampshire, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing approximately $130,000 from his congregation.

The federal court sentenced Neal to 18 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $129,960.13 in restitution to the victims of the fraud, including the church and the insurance company that covered a portion of the losses incurred by the fraudulent activity.

On April 12, 2023, Neal pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with wire fraud. This was after an investigation revealed that between January 2017 to March 2020, Neal made unauthorized withdrawals of the church’s funds to pay off his gambling debts and made unauthorized purchases with the church’s credit cards for his own benefit.

According to court documents, Neal used the church’s funds to pay off his gambling debts and made unauthorized purchases with the church’s credit cards, totaling $129,960.13. He was able to carry out this scheme for over three years without being detected.

The United States Secret Service led the investigation into Neal’s activities, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande prosecuted the case.

U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young stated, “Today, a man who abused his position of trust as a leader of his church and stole from his congregation to support his gambling habit has been brought to justice. Criminals like the defendant who defraud organizations and public institutions in our community will be prosecuted by this office to the full extent of the law.”

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