The man was sentenced after pretending to be a bishop to marry 10 women
A Houston man, Orlando Coleman (51), has been sentenced to three years in prison for bigamy. Coleman masqueraded as a bishop and used the facade to deceive at least 10 women into marrying him over two decades.
Coleman pretends to be a bishop to visit Black churches across the country. Additionally, on social media, he claimed to be the founder of several churches and a Pentecostal preacher.
Prosecutors allege these claims were entirely fictitious. They believe Coleman used his fake title to gain the trust of religious women. Over 20 years, he married at least 10 of them.
Coleman masqueraded as a bishop to marry 10 women with the intention of financial gain
Authorities said that Coleman's motivations were financial. 'At the heart of this repeat offender’s schemes was a plan to defraud women and take advantage of them for financial gain,' Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a news release.
In fact, marrying these women provided him with housing and financial security by using the church to camouflage his scams.
The journey of camouflage led Coleman to marry 10 women as part of his scams.
According to the investor, Coleman's first bigamous marriage occurred in 2001. In the following years, he traveled extensively, targeting churchgoing women in Delaware, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.
According to the report, Coleman confessed to posing as a prominent religious figure to marry women if they accepted him. Then, he would move in, leaving them to shoulder his living expenses.
Several women unravel Coleman's deception.
Several of Coleman's wives filed for divorce after he abruptly left them for other states.
His drama came to an end in 2021 after he was spotted marrying a woman in Houston. Just five months later, the new wife discovered he was receiving financial support from a woman in Virginia.
The Houston wife reached out to the Virginia woman on Facebook, leading to a shocking revelation – they were both married to Coleman.
The Virginia woman confirmed they were still legally married, with their separation occurring only in 2021, shortly before Coleman married the Houston woman.
The Houston wife contacted the police, and Coleman was subsequently arrested and charged with bigamy. In July 2023, he pleaded guilty in exchange for three years' probation.
In a pre-sentencing letter, Coleman left people shocked after claiming that he was a victim of childhood sexual abuse and a lack of love during his upbringing. Additionally, he suggested that his future aspirations include returning to Kentucky as a pastor, supposedly 'helping to feed & clothe people.
