Bishop Anthony Jinwright, found guilty last month on 13 counts of federal conspiracy and tax evasion, has petitioned the court for release on bond while he awaits sentencing.

In return, Jinwright has offered to resign from all roles relating to financial decisions at Greater Salem City of God. He also said he would accept no funds from Greater Salem above $300,000 and would not solicit contributions from individual members while on church property.

The proposal was outlined in a court filing dated Friday, May 28. Federal prosecutors have until Tuesday to file a response to Jinwright’s motion. No hearing date has been set to consider the request.

The court document said Jinwright was requesting release so that he can “work on the orderly liquidation of his business assets to avoid the destruction of their value through his inability to either manage or sell them and so that he can assemble records requested by the US Probation Office for the preparation of his Pre-sentence investigative report.”

Jinwright, who was found guilty May 3 along with wife and co-pastor Harriet Jinwright, was ordered to jail immediately by U.S. District Judge Frank Whitney, who said sentencing could take four to six months.

The Jinwrights were indicted on charges that they failed to report more than $1.8 million in income on their federal tax returns between 2001 and 2007. That number eventually was increased to $2.3 million.

During those same years, prosecutors alleged, the couple received more than $5 million in compensation from the west Charlotte church. Prosecutors estimated that the Jinwrights owe the federal government nearly $700,000.

Witnesses in the four-week trial testified that the Jinwrights routinely collected "love offerings" from Greater Salem then took the money home in bags. Others testified that the couple used church money to lease luxury cars, pay for vacations, and to pay their daughter's college tuition. Much of that money went unreported on federal tax returns, the government said.

In his petition for release, Jinwright said he has “stopped payments on the leases for the Rolls Royce and Bentley, and informed the lessors to come and pick up the vehicles.”

The petition said Jinwright also had begun to make payments toward his federal tax liability. Since April 14, the document said, Jinwright has made three payments totaling $60,000.

Jinwright said his A.L. Jinwright Funeral Services business has been “severely damaged by the publicity surrounding the investigation and trial, but have potential value if carefully maintained and marketed.”

The court found that Jinwright was not a flight risk and posed no danger to the community. He was jailed, the judge said, to prevent him from having further financial dealings with Greater Salem.

If freed on bond, Jinwright said, he would “accept close supervision by the Probation Office…”

Click here to read our complete coverage of the Jinwright trial.
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Email Glenn Burkins @editor@qcitymetro.com

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