Gateway Church and its founding pastor, Robert Morris, are now facing allegations that they violated federal racketeering laws.

In an amended filing as part of a federal class-action lawsuit in Sherman, plaintiffs accuse the church and Morris of mail fraud and wire fraud by "falsely representing that 15 percent of all tithe dollars would be distributed to global missions and Jewish ministry partners" and by claiming that people who tithed to the church could receive a return of their funds for any reason.

The suit also alleges the church used the U.S. mail, sent emails, and traveled to out-of-state campuses and locations to further the alleged fraud.

While the suit is civil in nature, RICO laws have historically been used by federal authorities to prosecute organized crime.

The plaintiffs are now seeking treble damages along with attorneys' fees and other associated costs.

What are treble damages?

Treble damages, also called triple damages, are a type of monetary award in civil lawsuits where a court or statute allows a plaintiff to recover three times the amount of actual damages they suffered.  

Plaintiffs claim misuse of donated funds

"As a direct and proximate result of defendants' racketeering activities, plaintiffs …. have suffered substantial damages, including but not limited to, the loss of donated funds that were not used as promised," the suit states.

They further allege that using email and online communications "allowed them to reach a large audience of potential and current tithers across the United States, thereby inducing them to donate money through e-commerce platforms under false pretenses."

The original federal lawsuit was filed in October of last year. It accuses the church of not living up to its promises and giving only $3 million to global missions, instead of the $15 million that should have been donated.

An attorney for Morris did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The church declined to comment on the allegations.

Legal issues mount for Gateway, Morris

The increased scrutiny for Morris and the church began in 2024, when Cindy Clemishire, a now-adult woman, accused Morris of sexually abusing her as a child four decades ago in Oklahoma.

Morris entered a guilty plea to five counts of lewd and indecent conduct on October 2 of this year and is currently serving six months of a 10-year sentence in the Osage County Jail.

The church and Morris are also embroiled in a legal dispute in Tarrant County over the millions of dollars Morris says the church owes him as part of a retirement settlement.