Jury Begins Deliberations in
Rev. Lyons' Racketeering Trial
February 25, 1999
LARGO, Fla. - Jurors began deliberating the case of the National Baptist Convention USA president who is accused of swindling more than $4 million from companies seeking to market products to the black church organization's members.
The jury got the case Thursday afternoon after hearing closing arguments in which prosecutors said the Rev. Henry Lyons had "traded the Good Book for the bank book.''
"It's beyond hypocrisy and it's actually criminal,'' Assistant State Attorney Bill Loughery said.
The panel deliberated 2 1/2 hours before going home. Deliberations were to resume Friday morning.
In a hallway outside the courtroom, Lyons, his wife Deborah Lyons, co-defendant Bernice Edwards, their lawyers and convention ministers gathered for an impromptu prayer service, holding hands and singing to God about members of the jury.
Lyons and Ms. Edwards are accused of swindling more than $4 million from corporations seeking to market cemetery products, life insurance policies and credit cards to convention members. The two allegedly pocketed the money and used it to finance their own lavish lifestyles.
Prosecutors say the pair duped the companies by selling a membership mailing list that never existed and then used the money to buy a $700,000 waterfront home, a time share condominium, a huge diamond ring and luxury cars.
Prosecutors also say the convention's claim that it has 8.5 million members was a hoax, and that the church organization likely has closer to 1 million members.
"Somewhere along the line, he traded the Good Book for the bank book. That's what this case is all about,'' Loughery told the jury.
If the trial had a title, Loughery's fellow prosecutor told jurors earlier this week, they would call it, "Their creed was greed.''
"They actually became the Bonnie and Clyde of the National Baptist Convention. Instead of using a gun to go and rob their victims, they used a pen and they used their word,'' Assistant State Attorney Jim Hellickson said.
But Lyons' defense lawyers characterized the trial as a case of "corporate giants and the little preacher,'' saying he was approached by companies who wanted access to the black church members, and those failed business deals are not crimes.
Lyons also is charged with grand theft, accused of stealing almost $250,000 from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, money intended to rebuild burned churches in the South. If convicted he faces three to seven years in prison.
February 25, 1999
Source: Newswire
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