TV Celebrity-Pastor Charged with Identity Theft

Dec 30, 2023 | Scam Watch

Pastor podium

A Tennessee pastor who once sung his way onto the television shows American Idol and The Voice has been charged with felony identity theft and theft of merchandise. Steven “Stevie” Flockhart, chief pastor of the 901 Church in Memphis, gained a measure of fame more than 10 years ago when he appeared on the TV shows that highlight dramatic vocal competitions in front of an audience.

But Flockhart’s recent brush with celebrity is of an altogether different nature. According to his arrest affidavit, Flockhart and a member of his congregation opened a credit card for the church a few years ago. Recently, however, the church member learned that his own credit score had fallen, and that a different PayPal credit card had been opened in his name with a balance of $6,410.

These discoveries led to Flockhart’s recent arrest. The singing pastor chose not to enter a plea at a preliminary hearing in Shelby County Criminal Court on November 6. He is currently on leave from his pastoral duties, and the church is conducting its own investigation. According to the arrest affidavit, Flockhart was previously accused of forging documents and impersonating an account holder in a George church in 2020.