North Carolina pastor pleads guilty to COVID loan fraud. How much time he faces

Lexi Solomon, The News & Observer (Raleigh) on May 29, 2025

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RALEIGH, N.C. — A Raleigh pastor could spend decades in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to obtaining fraudulent COVID-19 loans.

Mitchell Summerfield, 45, is awaiting sentencing on a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Summerfield is the pastor of Word of God Fellowship Church on Rock Quarry Road, according to the church’s website.

The scheme began in July 2020, when Summerfield had his accountants submit fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, according to court documents. The programs were created by the U.S. government during the COVID-19 pandemic to help small businesses survive the pandemic.

According to court documents, Summerfield conspired with his accountants and the owner of a financial company to submit fraudulent applications on:

—July 1, 2020, to the EIDL program for Winning Ways, a home for teen mothers that never operated. An initial $10,000 cash advance was deposited July 6, 2020, and the full $149,900 loan was approved and deposited July 21, 2020.

—July 13, 2020, to the EIDL program for KHS Investments, a fake real estate company he ran out of his home. The application included a fake IRS Form 1040 and false revenue statements. The loan was approved, leading to a $75,100 deposit on Jan. 25, 2021.

—March 11, 2021, to the PPP program for Vision and Destiny, his public speaking business. The application listed a Washington, D.C., address for the business, but Summerfield ran it out of his Apex home. The loan was approved, leading to a $20,833 deposit on March 18, 2021.

—April 4, 2021, to the PPP program for KHS Investments. The $20,833 loan was deposited April 29, 2021.

On several occasions, when the fraudulent loans were deposited, the bank accounts they were deposited to would have balances as low as $60, according to court documents.

According to court records, Summerfield used the loans to purchase designer clothing, “family planning,” flights, consulting services and other personal expenses and pay off unrelated loans.

The charges against Summerfield were submitted in federal court Jan. 28, according to court records. At his sentencing, he could face up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release, the press release said.

Summerfield may also have to forfeit at least $402,166, the amount he received in fraudulent loans, court records indicate.

North Carolina court records show Summerfield also owes $2,738 in Wake County Court as part of a judgment by Dominion Energy as of Thursday afternoon and has a lien on his Apex home after failing to pay $1,904 to the homeowners’ association.

The church’s website describes Summerfield as its chief operating officer and a member of the board of directors for Winning Ways Community Development Corporation and Word of God Christian Academy.

“Pastor Mitch successfully merged his business acumen and ministry insight into closing real estate deals of over $1 million,” the website states.

The church was founded by Summerfield’s parents in 1988, according to its website.

Summerfield is tentatively set to return to court for sentencing the week of Aug. 11, court records show.

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