Baptist Leader Theft Trial Gets Underway

A respected Baptist preacher was a con man who looked people in the eye and smoothly swindled millions to finance a lavish lifestyle, the prosecution said in opening arguments at the Rev. Henry Lyons’ racketeering and grand theft trial in Largo, Fla. Lyons, 56, president of the National Baptist Convention USA, and Bernice Edwards, 42, are charged with devising schemes to divert more than $4 million intended for the convention to buy expensive homes, jewelry and luxury cars. Lyons also is charged with stealing $250,000 from the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, money intended to rebuild burned churches.