Prosecutors allege that Orlando Coleman, 51, traveled to various small churches throughout the country presenting himself as either a pastor or bishop. The only problem — there was no evidence that he was ever a member of the clergy.
But the story gets even wilder.
According to prosecutors, Coleman used his perceived status as a clergy member to cozy up to women at the various congregations he visited. In total, he married at least 10 women over the last two decades all across the United States.
Here’s how it went down. Coleman would introduce himself as either a Pastor or Bishop and propose to one of the women at the new church. He would then move into her home — where she would pay the housing, food, and all other bills.
According to court documents, things fell apart when he got to Houston, Texas. In 2021, his new Houston wife started noticing that he was receiving payments from a woman in Virginia. Suspicious, his Houston wife reached out to the woman in Virginia.... who turned out to also be his wife.
His Houston wife reached out to law enforcement who filed bigamy charges against Coleman. He was placed on probation, but then in a baffling series of decisions ended up marrying another woman in Kentucky, while still legally married to the woman in Virginia. Prosecutors found out and his probation was revoked — resulting in his current three-year sentence.
Coleman says his latest wife was the real deal, and that he thought his previous marriage had been annulled or divorced. “If I knew getting married was not allowed,” he wrote in a pre-sentencing letter obtained by the New York Times, “I would have waited.”
According to the New York Times, in the letter he signed his name PhD, ThD, DD. But prosecutors said that there was no evidence he has an advanced degree.
Assistant District Attorney Vanessa Goussen, who prosecuted Coleman, had this advice for people looking to avoid similar scams. “Run a background check, if possible, or try searching their name on the internet, look at their social media, and ask a lot of questions,” she said, in a statment. “Unfortunately, many con artists hide behind important sounding titles, and it is easier than you think to get swept off your feet.”