'I'll Never Spend a Day in Jail': Televangelist Sent to Prison After Lying About Children to IRS

Brian Carn Jr, a 37-year-old televangelist who recently declared he would 'never spend a day in jail', began a nine-month sentence at a federal prison in South Carolina.

The Kingdom City Church leader surrendered at the Federal Correctional Institution in Bennettsville despite his previous assurances.

The self-styled 'prophet' pleaded guilty to obstructing Internal Revenue Service collection efforts, with court filings revealing a discrepancy where he falsely claimed to have no children, despite records showing he made child support payments.

Records show he deliberately hindered the government from recovering more than £461,000 ($600,000) in unpaid taxes.

Defiant Declarations Before Confinement

During a worship service on the third of July, Carn addressed his followers directly, rejecting any possibility of imprisonment.

'I'll never spend a day in jail. You better believe it. See, you know, I talk like that,' Carn said during the broadcast. 'I talk like that. I ain't scared.'

Despite his public declarations rejecting the possibility of prison, court records show Carn had successfully requested a legal delay to his surrender.

US District Judge Timothy J Corrigan granted the extension, moving his report date to the fourteenth of August, last Friday, so he could care for his terminally ill father.

Fabricated Documents and Concealed Assets

The US Department of Justice detailed the guilty plea earlier this year. Federal prosecutors state Carn's 2015 tax return accurately reported an income exceeding £1.07 million ($1.4 million), generating a tax liability of roughly £461,000 ($600,000).

Rather than paying the owed amount, prosecutors state Carn amended his return, fraudulently removing nearly £1 million ($1.3 million) in previously declared income just as authorities began issuing property liens and attempting to levy his accounts.

The Justice Department noted that Carn made several other material omissions to hide his wealth. These actions caused an estimated loss to the US Treasury ranging between £423,000 ($550,000) and £1.15 million ($1.5 million).

Attorneys stressed in a memorandum that these discrepancies were deliberate fabrications to mislead his accountant. Filings also revealed Carn explicitly told the court he had no children, a claim contradicted by records showing he made £11,200 ($14,600) in child support payments in 2024.

Financial strain extended beyond personal taxes. Just weeks after securing his prison delay, the Kingdom City Church campus in Charlotte, North Carolina, faced eviction. The ministry had fallen £58,400 ($76,000) behind on rent for its leased units.

Continued Congregational Support

The mounting legal and financial scandals have done little to deter his most loyal followers. During Sunday services following his incarceration, the congregation engaged in spirited worship.

Senior associate pastor JR Butler addressed the crowd, praising his superior as the prophet of the world and a nightmare for the devil. Butler encouraged churchgoers to ignore media coverage and continue donating.

'We have a pastor. I don't care what the media say, what social streams say,' Butler insisted from the pulpit. He then urged congregants to contribute a £38 ($50) donation designated as a shepherd seed offering for Carn's personal ministry.

While Carn serves his nine-month sentence within the federal correctional facility in South Carolina, the daily operations of Kingdom City Church appear to be moving forward under the direction of his associate pastors.

Despite the recent eviction of their Charlotte campus and the detailed public release of Carn's financial discrepancies by the US Department of Justice, church leadership maintains a steadfast public front.

It remains unclear how the ministry will navigate its own documented financial strains during his absence over the coming months. However, as the recent Sunday service demonstrated, the federal proceedings have not altered their immediate focus, and active requests for financial contributions from the congregation remain firmly in place.