Keith Rydell Mayes Sr.

Introduction

Keith Rydell Mayes Sr. is a former senior pastor of historic Vernon AME Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who pleaded guilty on September 14, 2026, to federal bank fraud and tax evasion charges after prosecutors said he embezzled more than $504,000 from the church he led. Mayes, 63, led the congregation as senior pastor beginning in October 2021 and, according to court documents, oversaw its finances and managed its donations, collections and disbursements. His guilty plea made the charges matters of court record: he admitted the conduct by pleading guilty, agreed to repay $504,313.88 — including $205,765.60 owed to the Internal Revenue Service — and agreed to forfeit firearms and ammunition purchased with the fraudulent funds. He remains awaiting sentencing.

Background Information

Vernon AME Church is a historically significant Tulsa congregation, described in coverage of the case as the “historic Tulsa-based church”, and the bishop who responded to the case noted its “extraordinary history and importance to the Greenwood community” and that it “has served Tulsa for more than 120 years.” Mayes became senior pastor of the church in October 2021. In that role, court documents state, he oversaw church finances and managed donations, collections and disbursements — a position that gave him direct control over the funds at issue in the federal case. Details of Mayes’s life and ministry before his tenure at Vernon AME Church have not been widely reported; the public record of the case centers on his pastorate, which began in October 2021 and ended with his guilty plea.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Adjudicated vs. alleged. Mayes’s guilty pleas to federal bank fraud and tax evasion charges, entered on September 14, 2026, are matters of criminal court record: the conduct was admitted through the plea, not merely alleged. The embezzlement and spending details below come from court documents and statements by prosecutors, as reported at the time of the plea. No charges were disputed in the coverage, and no allegation-only conduct beyond the admitted offenses features in the case as reported; sentencing remains pending.

Shortly after joining Vernon AME Church, Mayes opened a new bank account titled “Administrative Expenses,” according to court documents. He was the only authorized signer on the account and used his personal residence as its mailing address. Prosecutors said Mayes solicited, obtained and deposited voluntary donations from church members and charitable organizations into that account. In one instance, a church donor and the donor’s financial adviser contacted Mayes about a stock donation intended for the church; Mayes then opened a brokerage account in the church’s name to receive it. He received $365,000 in stock transfers from the donor in 2021 and 2022, then liquidated the stock, deposited the proceeds into the church’s bank account and embezzled most of the money for personal use. Court documents show he embezzled more than $504,000 from at least March 2022 through at least November 2025, using the money to support gambling, pay personal expenses and purchase firearms. Mayes did not report the illegal income to the IRS, leaving him with more than $205,000 in unpaid taxes.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The plea agreement filed on September 14, 2026, requires Mayes to repay $504,313.88 for his embezzlement activities, of which $205,765.60 will go to the IRS for unpaid taxes, and to forfeit the firearms and ammunition purchased with the fraudulent funds. After appearing in court that day, Mayes was released on bond and placed under the supervision of the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services. The leader of the 12th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Silvester Scott Beaman, responded with a statement sent to News On 6: “The African Methodist Episcopal Church is aware of the serious legal matter involving Rev. Keith R. Mayes, Sr., former pastor of Historic Vernon A.M.E. Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rev. Mayes is no longer the pastor of Historic Vernon A.M.E. Church.” The statement told members that “the actions described in the federal case were not authorized by the congregation or the leadership of Vernon A.M.E. Church.” It added: “The accounts and financial activities at issue were established and controlled by Rev. Mayes without the knowledge or authorization of Vernon’s governing leadership.”

Current Status

Mayes is no longer pastor of Vernon AME Church. According to the 12th Episcopal District’s statement, “Since May 2026, Vernon has been under new pastoral leadership and continues its ministry, worship, community service, historic preservation, and educational work.” Mayes was released on bond following his court appearance and is under the supervision of the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services ahead of sentencing. A federal district court judge will schedule his sentencing hearing for a later date. Under the plea agreement he must repay $504,313.88 and forfeit the firearms and ammunition bought with the fraudulent funds. The church stated that upon the transition in pastoral leadership it “took steps to review its financial practices, strengthen safeguards, and ensure appropriate accountability and oversight moving forward”, and that it “remains operational, stable, and committed to responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to it.”

Impact on Their Career/Life

The guilty plea ended Mayes’s tenure at one of Tulsa’s most historic congregations and left him a convicted offender awaiting a federal sentencing hearing. His criminal exposure now includes a court-ordered repayment obligation of $504,313.88 — the full amount tied to his embezzlement, including the tax debt owed to the IRS — and the forfeiture of firearms and ammunition purchased with the money prosecutors said he diverted. Until sentencing he remains under U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services supervision on bond. For Vernon AME Church, the case prompted an internal review of financial practices and new safeguards, while church leadership sought to separate the congregation from the conduct of its former pastor: “We ask that the actions of one individual not be allowed to define a church that has served Tulsa for more than 120 years”, the 12th Episcopal District’s statement read, adding that the church “has endured, rebuilt, served, and stood as a witness through some of the most difficult chapters in our nation’s history” and that its ministry and legacy continue.