A former pastor from Crofton, Kentucky, Marvin Upton, has been sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison for fraud and tax offenses. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge of the Cincinnati Field Office for IRS Criminal Investigation.
Court documents reveal that Upton, aged 58, faced charges related to three counts of bank fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. These offenses occurred while he served as a pastor at Crofton Pentecostal Church from 2013 to 2016. The bank fraud involved defrauding an elderly parishioner with dementia during this period. Concurrently, Upton filed multiple false tax returns that failed to report income obtained through his fraudulent activities.
Federal sentencing guidelines do not allow for parole; thus, Upton will serve the full duration of his sentence. Additionally, he is required to pay restitution totaling $500,000 to the victim’s estate and $222,037 to the IRS.
The investigation into this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation team. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Madison T. Sewell and Corinne E. Keel were responsible for prosecuting the case.
This legal action falls under the efforts of both the National Elder Justice Task Force and the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. These initiatives are part of a broader mission by the Department of Justice aimed at combating elder abuse and financial exploitation targeting older adults across various federal districts including those in Kentucky.