Staccato Powell (born 1959) is an American clergy member of the

African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or the AME Zion Church (AMEZ) is a historically African-American Christian denomination based in the United States. It was officially formed in 1821 in New York City, but operated for a number of y ...

(AME Zion). He is the former

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

in the AME Zion Church serving the West Coast (or Western Episcopal District). He is from

Wake Forest, North Carolina Wake Forest is a town in Wake and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it lies just north of the state capital, Raleigh. At the 2020 census, the population was 47,601, up from 30,117 in ...

. In 2016, Powell and Sheila Quintana, the former Vallejo High School Principal, created the entity "Western Episcopal District, Inc.", after Powell was made Bishop. The indictment alleged that Powell and Quintana conspired to defraud AME Zion Church congregations of roughly $14 million dollars in the California cities of Palo Alto, Oakland, San Jose, and Los Angeles by illegally re- deeding these church properties. On January 25, 2022, Powell was charged with conspiracy and wire fraud. In April 2025, Quintana pleaded guilty, and Powell’s case is still pending.

References

Living people 1959 births African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church bishops American members of the clergy convicted of crimes People from Wake Forest, North Carolina {{US-bishop-stub