Orlando Coleman, a man from Houston, received a prison term for being a con artist who claimed to be a bishop to trick ten women into marrying him—some of them more than once. Throughout the nation, Coleman, 51, went to black churches and introduced himself as a minister. He identified himself as a “Pentecostal preacher” and the founder of many churches on social media. Coleman allegedly married ten devout women over 20 years after using the title to win their confidence, and the prosecution claims it was all an elaborate hoax.
Coleman received a three-year prison term last week for his third marriage, which he wed only months after being placed on probation for having an extramarital affair. In Texas, bigamy is punishable by a maximum of ten years in jail and is considered a third-degree felony. According to the prosecution, Coleman wed the ladies to secure housing and financial stability. The plot to take advantage of and deceive women was central to this habitual offender’s scams, according to Kim Ogg, the district attorney for Harris County.
Investigators believe Coleman’s first marriage occurred around 2001. He then met ladies attending churches in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Kentucky. Coleman would approach the woman, introduce himself as a Protestant pastor or bishop, and propose marriage. He would then move in with her and ask her to pay for his food and accommodation.
After Coleman’s departure to another state, a number of the ladies sought a divorce.
In 2021, he tied the knot with a woman from Houston. It wasn’t until five months later that she found out he was getting money from a Virginia lady. After connecting with her on Facebook, a woman from Houston she learned that the couple had been married since 2019. Even though they never formally divorced, the Virginia lady informed Coleman’s new wife that they had split in 2021.
In July 2023, Coleman entered a guilty plea and was granted three years of probation. He left behind several Facebook identities as he unwittingly chronicled his fraud.
