South Florida pastor arrested, accused of stealing from his flock

A church pastor is accused of filing fake records to take over a church property, which he then sold for $600,000 to support his drug habit, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested James Edward Smith II, 49, of Lauderhill, on Tuesday. Smith was the pastor of New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Pompano Beach, which also goes by New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church in Pompano Beach. He began that role in 2011 until he was fired in December 2021, according to the probable cause affidavit.

He remains in Broward’s jail on 12 charges including unlawful filing of false document records against real or personal property, grand theft of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by convicted felon and violation of probation.

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The FDLE said in a prepared statement that it began its investigation last year after receiving complaints from parishioners and church founders that Smith fraudulently gained control over both the church and its money. Authorities say Smith filed a forged quit claim deed allowing him to “assume complete control of the church property and then sold it for $600,000, using the money to support a drug habit.”

According to Broward County property records, the church mailing address is the same address as Smith’s Lauderhill home. The records show a quit claim deed was recorded March 18, 2022, for $100. The church is a 3,722-square-foot building built in the 1970s.

Investigators said soon after Smith was fired, in January 2022, he contacted a real estate broker to sell the church. It was listed at $1.1 million and “several offers were made on the church, but they did not go through.” Later that month he made a deal to sell it for $600,000, but for months, questions were raised about the church title, which prevented the immediate closing and sale.

On March 17, 2022, he forged someone else’s name and signature on a quit-claim deed, authorities say. According to the probable cause affidavit, Smith had the quit-claim deed notarized and then filed with the county Property Appraiser’s Office. That allowed him to sell the church, and keep the proceeds, officials said. He kept the proceeds from the sale in two bank accounts he opened in the name of the church, with himself as the sole signer, investigators said.

According to the booking report, a .380-caliber gun was found near the foot of his bed, which had been stolen in West Palm Beach five years ago. On the bedroom dresser was a clear plastic container containing methamphetamines. Inside a refrigerator in the bedroom were needles and syringes. On top of the refrigerator was a glass container with smoking pipes, and near the nightstand was a scale with a white powdery substance. Near the front door was a maroon-colored pouch with heroin. Investigators said they also found marijuana.

Additional charges are pending.

A representative of the church could not be reached for comment. According to his biography on the church’s website, Smith is a third-generation preacher, married and a father of four. He is a 1992 graduate of Boyd Anderson High School.

He mentors boys without active fathers at home, according to his online biography, and one of his favorite quotes is: “What would I know about being restored if I’d never lost my place? What would I know about God’s mercy if I’d never fallen from grace?”

Smith’s run-ins with the law dates back decades, including on the charge of grand theft, according to attorneys who spoke during first-appearance court. A defense attorney for Smith could not be immediately identified.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @LisaHuriash