Interim pastor held in thefts, fraud
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The interim pastor of Fairview Baptist Church on Braddock Street was arrested Wednesday for allegedly opening several lines of credit using the church’s name and tax identification number.
Keith Bertrand Cowart, 38, opened two additional credit card accounts using the Social Security number of the church’s former pastor, who died two years ago, said Sgt. Don Kelly, a Baton Rouge Police Department spokesman.
Cowart charged $74,000 to the cards, Kelly said, and then had the bills sent to a post office box, not the church.
Church personnel found out about the credit cards after being contacted by collection agencies attempting to gain payments for the credit card companies, Kelly said.
Police were contacted June 4 and began an investigation, he said. Cowart, 2840 Aberdeen Road, New Orleans, was arrested Wednesday and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on two counts each of bank fraud and identity theft and one count of theft.
Calls made Thursday to Fairview Baptist Church at 1636 Braddock Street were not answered.
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