Kern County authorities say they’ve issued a felony arrest warrant for a Long Beach pastor who was previously convicted of stealing nearly $100,000 from a disabled veteran.
In this new criminal case, Misi Tagaloa, pastor of Second Samoan Church, which used to meet near downtown Long Beach, is accused of forgery with an aggravating factor that his act included “great monetary value,” according to court records.
If convicted, prosecutors say Tagaloa could face up to 3 years in prison.
The charge stems from a land dispute over three dirt lots in Kern County, according to Chris Rusch, who said he bought those properties at an auction last May after Tagaloa forfeited ownership to the county over unpaid taxes.
Before the Kern County sheriff could register those properties under Rusch’s name, Tagaloa took out a loan for $50,000 on each property, Rusch alleged. Kern County law enforcement declined to discuss details of the case, but property records reviewed by the Long Beach Post corroborated Rusch’s claims.
It’s not clear if Tagaloa ever received money from the loans. He did not respond to a phone call or an email from the Post. He remains out of custody.
This is not Tagaloa’s first criminal case. Nearly five years ago, Tagaloa pleaded no contest to felony theft from an elder dependent and was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service. As part of the agreement, Tagaloa promised to pay back $96,000 he stole from Air Force Veteran Phillip Campbell, a schizophrenic man in his 60s. Campbell’s family eventually sued Tagaloa to recoup an undisclosed amount of that money.
Rusch said he’s now pushing police to arrest Tagaloa so the new criminal case can begin. He hopes to clear up the allegedly fraudulent loan before selling the lots.
Tagaloa, meanwhile, continues to preach for the Second Samoan Church, although not from the historic house of worship on Cedar Avenue near Seventh Street.
Just over two years ago, a two-alarm fire damaged the church and took firefighters an hour to put out. The church remains boarded up. Two neighbors said they haven’t seen it reopen since the blaze.
Tagaloa streams his Sunday services online and, based on the church’s recent posts, holds in-person services at a church in Los Alamitos.
Second Samoan Church had been part of the United Church of Christ, but in an email this week, the denomination said Tagaloa “is no longer authorized by us,” and it’s up to each individual church to select its pastor.
Tagaloa previously ran for Long Beach City Council three times and was known for his ministry’s feeding and sheltering of homeless people.