GA pastor accused of locking up 6 elderly, disabled men pleads guilty but only to 1 charge

SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. — It was a case that made international news. Second Chance Ministries Pastor Curtis Bankston and his wife were arrested, accused of housing elderly and disabled adults in their home without a license.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones was the only reporter in court when Bankston entered a guilty plea to only one of eight charges.

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Bankston told the court that he was only trying to do what pastors do. Help people.

“I did not purposely detain anyone,” he said to Superior Court Judge Benjamin Coker.

He also wanted him to know his wife had no responsibility in what brought him before the court.

“Therefore I will ask that all charges against her should be dismissed,” he said.

The Bankstons were arrested back in January 2022. They were accused of locking six elderly and disabled men in their basement and stealing money from them.

“All of them were unable to leave the lower level of the home unless let out by the defendant and his wife,” prosecutor Will Johnson told the court.

Bankston’s attorney says the case made international news.

“All of that was just garbage. But unfortunately it went viral. It had 16 million views,” Dexter Wimbish said.

But, in court during a plea hearing, prosecutors did not pursue seven counts of unreasonable confinement against Bankston. The state only went forward with one charge.

“He is pleading to only count one. The felony unlicensed personal care home,” Johnson explained.

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Bankston told the court he did not know he needed a license.

“At no point did I intend to put anyone at harm,” he said.

The judge accepted Bankston’s guilty plea. Bankston’s attorney has filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging it totally misrepresented what happened.

“It’s been proven that what they claim they did they didn’t do,” Wimbish said.

Bankston received five years probation on the felony charge. His attorney says charges against his wife have been dropped.

The Bankstons are seeking $10 million dollars in that suit against the city. Jones reached out to the city for a comment and is waiting to hear back.

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