Pastor Brian Carn’s Fall From Grace: Guilty Plea and 4-Year Prison Sentence Loom

Brian Carn’s story began humbly but quickly escalated to national prominence.

Born in 1989 in Jacksonville, Florida, Carn accepted Christ at a young age and rapidly grew into a powerful Pentecostal preacher.

His breakthrough came after a prophetic encounter with televangelist Benny Hinn, who foretold a double portion of anointing on Carn’s ministry.

This prophecy launched Carn into the spotlight, filling arenas and gaining an international following of over 300,000 people.

Carn’s ministry expanded rapidly, with broadcasts on major Christian networks like TBN and the Word Network, and the founding of Kingdom City Church with campuses in multiple states.

He was seen as a beacon of the prosperity gospel, preaching healing and financial breakthroughs.

But behind the scenes, the Department of Justice alleges a decade-long scheme of tax evasion and fraud.

Court documents reveal Carn systematically concealed his personal income by withdrawing cash from ministry accounts without a formal salary or employment contract.

In 2015 alone, he allegedly took over $1.4 million this way, but reported only $144,000 on his tax returns, using a fabricated employment agreement dated 2014.

This massive underreporting caused a loss to the U.S. Treasury estimated between $550,000 and $1.5 million.

When the IRS began collection efforts in 2016, Carn did not cooperate but instead filed amended returns with false information.

He stopped filing returns altogether in 2020, even as he continued to receive income.

In a January 2026 interview, Carn minimized his crimes as an “accounting error” but admitted responsibility.

When questioned about the possibility of prison time, he confidently stated he would avoid it through spiritual means.

This attitude has raised concern, as federal sentencing typically weighs the severity of the crime, financial loss, and defendant’s remorse—factors that may not favor Carn.

Carn’s explanations about his youth and lack of financial experience do little to excuse the sophisticated nature of his fraud.

By his mid-20s, he was running a multi-million dollar ministry, appearing on television, and managing large audiences.

Yet, he claimed ignorance about tax obligations and delayed informing his congregation about his guilty plea until the news became public, raising questions about transparency and accountability.

This case exemplifies the dangers of unchecked power in ministry, especially when combined with the prosperity gospel’s emphasis on wealth and success.

Carn’s rapid rise lacked proper oversight, financial controls, and mentorship, creating an environment ripe for abuse.

Despite his spiritual gifts and achievements, Carn’s credibility has been severely damaged.

His guilty plea confirms deliberate deception rather than innocent mistakes.

The church and his followers now face the painful reality that their trusted leader committed federal tax fraud.

As sentencing approaches, the message is clear: no spiritual status exempts anyone from legal and ethical responsibilities.

Integrity and accountability remain paramount, even for those claiming divine anointing.