Authorities say a fake check scheme left a carpet company out over $6,000 while the product allegedly ended up inside a Benson NC pastor’s church.
A Benson, North Carolina pastor is sitting behind bars in Georgia after authorities say he played a role in a fraud scheme involving thousands of dollars in carpet.
According to an incident report from the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office obtained by The North Carolina Beat, the case dates back to July 22, 2025, when a deputy responded to Carpet and Rug Inc. after the business owner reported being scammed.
The owner told deputies that he and a sales representative had been communicating with a man identifying himself as Anthony Bazemore, who allegedly ordered carpet totaling $6,390.12.
The report states that a check was emailed to the business, and needed to be printed out and taken to the bank. After receiving the check, the business went forward with the order and delivered the carpet to Victory Deliverance Center, located at 402 East Hill Street in Benson, North Carolina.
That address belongs to Gregory O’Brian McCrae’s church, where he is the pastor — a man who is no stranger to The North Carolina Beat or the criminal justice system.
According to the report, McCrae was present when the carpet was delivered and was allegedly unloading the product himself when the truck arrived. Deputies say McCrae was the primary contact listed for the delivery.
Things went left when the business owner attempted to cash the check.
The bank reportedly informed him that the account on the check was not valid.
After realizing the check had bounced, the owner attempted to reach Bazemore with no success. He was then contacted by another individual identifying himself as “Tony Scott,” who the owner thought was another pastor related to the transaction.
According to the report, “Tony” brushed it off as a misunderstanding and sent another check — which also raised concerns. Despite multiple attempts, the owner said Bazemore eventually stopped responding entirely by phone and email.
The report states the business owner spoke with McCrae several times by phone but described him as “very sketchy.”
Deputies documented the fraudulent check, photographed it, and confirmed with the bank that the account used was invalid.
On Thursday, January 22, 2026, McCrae was taken into custody and is currently being held without bond at the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office in Dalton, Georgia.
He has been formally charged with Theft by Deception and is scheduled to appear in Georgia courts on Tuesday, February 3.
As of now, Bazemore has not been charged, but authorities note that the investigation is ongoing. Bazemore is no stranger to fraud-related allegations.
