Rev. Henry Lyons Found Guilty Of Racketeering, Grand Theft

The Rev. Henry Lyons, embattled leader of the National Baptist Convention USA, was found guilty of swindling millions of dollars from companies that sought to do business with his followers, who comprise one of the nation's most influential Black denominations.

Lyons also was found guilty of grand theft in the disappearance of almost $250,000 from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, money intended to rebuild burned Black churches in the South.

The once powerful minister, who advised President Clinton when the 1996 St. Petersburg, FL, riots broke out, faces three to seven years in prison on the conviction.

"Somewhere along the line, he traded the Good Book for the bank book. That's what this case is all about," Assistant State Attorney Bill Loughery said in closing arguments.

Bernice Edwards, Lyons' co-defendant and alleged mistress, was acquitted by the six-member jury in Largo, FL, on the racketeering charge, the only count she faced. She burst into tears when her verdict was read.

The two however, still face trial in federal court--he on 54 counts of tax evasion, extortion, money laundering and fraud; she on 27 similar counts.

A day after the verdict, Lyons led Sunday morning services at Bethel Metropolitan Church in St. Petersburg, FL, where he remains pastor, and then went to the funeral of his grandmother, 81-year-old Minnie Lyons.

Regarding his future Lyons said, "I've got to sit down with my deacons and with my wife and with my family and see what we're going to do."

He added: "I'll be doing some praying."

At press time, Lyons was expected back in court as officials began a pre-sentence investigation. He is free on bond until his sentencing.

Prosecutors accused Lyons and Edwards of stealing more than $4 million from corporations that wanted to sell cemetery products, life insurance policies and credit cards to the convention's touted 8.5 million Black members.

They alleged the pair duped the companies by promising a membership mailing list that never existed--at one point, according to testimony. Prosecutors called the membership figure a hoax, and said the convention had closer to 1 million members.

Convention aide Bonita Henderson described making up a membership list for the Globe Life Insurance Co. at Lyons' direction, using a computerized telephone directory and eliminating names ending with "-ski" or clear indication of other ethnic groups. Company executives testified that the company paid Lyons $400,000 for that list.

The company realized it had been duped when it received complaints from a grand dragon for the Ku Klux Klan, a Catholic priest and a member of its own board of directors, who each received sales letters with Lyons' endorsement. The company still paid Lyons an additional $600,000 when he claimed the list had been sabotaged and he could get them another one.

Prosecutors said the biggest victim was the world's second-largest funeral home company, the Loewen Group, which was cheated out of almost $3 million. Lyons and Edwards, prosecutors alleged, went on lavish spending sprees, buying a diamond ring "the size of a dime," a $700,000 waterfront home, a time-share condominium in Nevada, several luxury cars and expensive clothing.

Prosecutors began to investigate Lyons' finances in July 1997, after his wife, Deborah Lyons, set fire to the waterfront home. She initially told deputies she found the deed in her husband's briefcase and believed he and Ms. Edwards were having an affair.

Mrs. Lyons, who was convicted of arson and sentenced to probation, later said she supports her husband and does not believe Edwards was his mistress.

Before becoming the National Baptist Convention's president in 1994, Lyons helped to greatly reduce the $5.4 million debt the convention accrued while building new headquarters in Nashville, TN. Outside the church he wielded political clout and was highly influential.

The Rev. Stuart Cureton, convention vice president at large and successor to Lyons, said he expected the convention's board of directors to meet to discuss Lyons' conviction.

Rev. W. Franklyn Richardson of Mount Vernon, NY, a candidate for convention president, said in a statement that he hopes Lyons will now resign.