BELLEVILLE – Operators of Mt. Zion's east church location claim that operators of the church's main campus unlawfully drained funds from their bank account for their own use.
Plaintiffs Nathaniel Anderson, Leo Green, Brenda Mitchell and Andrea Tolden-Hughes filed the lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church and Pastor Curtis E. Levingston, Sr. citing conversion.
According to the lawsuit, on March 25, 2021, the court ordered that the parties remain separate entities. The defendants were to operate church activities of Mt. Zion's main church location and the plaintiffs were to operate the church activities of Mt. Zion's east church location.
The plaintiffs claim that on April 6, 2021, they opened a bank account for the operating expenses of Mt. Zion's east church location. The underlying court case was still pending at the time. On Dec. 28, the defendants allegedly accessed the plaintiffs' bank account. The plaintiffs claim the defendants transferred funds totaling $71,500 to their own bank account, converting the funds for their own use. The plaintiffs claim they have demanded the defendants return the transferred funds, but their demands have allegedly been ignored.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $75,000, plus attorney fees, court costs, interest, punitive damages and any other relief the court deems proper. They are represented in this case by attorney Van-Lear P. Eckert of the Law Office of Van-Lear P. Eckert, P.C. in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 23LA0124