Jury Selection Opens in Minister’s Trial
Jury selection began for the trial of prominent Baptist minister Henry Lyons on charges he defrauded millions of dollars from corporations to finance a lavish lifestyle. Lyons, 56, is president of the National Baptist Convention USA and minister of the Bethel Metropolitan Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, Fla. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering and grand theft. Lyons is charged with taking a $225,000 donation from the Anti-Defamation League in 1996 to rebuild burned black churches, and used all but $39,000 for himself. Lyons and co-defendant Bernice Edwards are also charged with defrauding a Canadian funeral home company of more than $3 million.
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