Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California
Sheila Quintana has entered a guilty plea in a California federal court for her involvement in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, associated with a scheme targeting the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion Church) congregations in California and private lenders.
Quintana, 71, is accused alongside co-defendant Staccato Powell, 65, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, according to a federal grand jury indictment from January 2022. Powell, from Wake Forest, N.C., and Quintana of Vallejo, face charges under 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and 18 U.S.C. § 1343, with Powell also facing a mail fraud charge.
Quintana waived indictment, accepting guilt on one conspiracy count under 18 U.S.C. § 371 while agreeing to assist the government. Prosecutors allege that the two defendants, while officers of the Western Episcopal District, Inc. (WED, Inc.), manipulated church property deeds and falsely represented congregational consents for loans secured against church properties.
AME Zion Church is a historic African-American denomination with approximately 1.4 million global adherents. Powell served as the chief executive of WED, Inc., with Quintana appointed as chief financial officer in 2017. During her guilty plea, Quintana admitted to fraudulent actions, including securing church property deeds through deceptive means, without proper congregational authorization.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins, alongside FBI Special Agent Sanjay Virmani, announced Quintana's admissions of guilt. Specific properties affected by fraudulent activities include Kyles Temple in Vallejo, First AME Zion Church in San Jose, Greater Cooper AME Zion Church in Oakland, University AME Zion Church of Palo Alto, and First AME Zion Church in Los Angeles.
Each property was used as collateral for unauthorized loans. For the Alameda County-based Kyles Temple, Quintana was involved in a $1.5 million property transaction using fake resolutions. Similar tactics were employed with properties in San Jose, where falsified documentation led to contested loans.
In 2019, Quintana executed documents securing $525,000 against Oakland's Greater Cooper AME Zion Church. In a notable instance, Palo Alto's University AME Church was subjected to a $3.6 million loan, while in Los Angeles, Quintana utilized illegitimate paperwork to initiate loans using the local church as collateral.
Additionally, Quintana wrote checks totaling $67,500 from WED, Inc.'s accounts payable to her spouse, indicating personal gains from her role, as revealed by September 2018 and June 2019 transactions. WED, Inc. filed for bankruptcy in 2020, with assets including 11 churches reportedly worth $26 million against debts of $12 million.
Quintana will reappear in court for a status hearing on July 15, 2025, facing a sentence that could extend up to five years and a hefty fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan U. Lee leads the prosecution, supported by an investigative effort spearheaded by the FBI.
