Pa. man accused of stealing over $142k from religious, political organizations

A Pennsylvania man is facing one year in prison and over $140,000 in fines after pleading guilty to wire fraud where he allegedly stole money from a religious organization and a political organization.

According to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Willie Jordan, 68, was working as a deacon for a religious organization in Philadelphia when he allegedly stole money from the group between Jan. 2020 and Jan. 2024.

Jordan was trusted by this religious organization to manage its finances by collecting and depositing funds into the proper accounts, officials said.

But, instead Jordan used the funds for the religious organization for his own benefit by issuing checks to himself where he claimed he was reimbursing himself, but this was false, officials reported.

Jordan was not a paid employee of the religious organization, but was getting a salary from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania while working for a state senator, according to officials.

Jordan allegedly wrote more than 80 checks to himself totally about $57,384, officials explained.

Meanwhile, in the same time period of Jan. 2020 to Jan. 2024, Jordan is accused of also stealing money from a political organization, officials said.

According to prosecutors, Jordan allegedly opened two bank accounts for the political organization and got debit cards for each one that he had access to.

Jordan used the debit cards for transactions as well as checks and ATM cash withdrawals from the organization’s accounts, officials said.

Jordan is accused of using the money for the political organization for himself at airlines, car dealerships, furniture stores, grocery stores and other various establishments.

At one point, officials said that Jordan used $12,500 from the organization to pay for a funeral for a family member.

Jordan allegedly stole at least $85,607 from the political organization.

Officials said that both the religious and the political organizations were unaware of Jordan’s activities.

Jordan pleaded guilty to wire fraud in July, 2025 and was sentenced on on Nov. 19 to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and will need to pay $142,991 in restitution.