Pa. pastor charged with insurance fraud

BRODHEADSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A northeastern Pennsylvania pastor is charged with insurance fraud after investigators say he lied about the value of two electric guitars stolen from his church office.

Authorities say 50-year-old Kevin Michael Gallagher tried to falsely collect more than $350,000 in insurance money after reporting that a pair of rare guitars were stolen from New Covenant World Outreach Church in Brodheadsville, about 65 miles north of Philadelphia.

Prosecutors say the pastor filed claims for a 1959 Gibson Les Paul and a 1962 Fender Stratocaster he didn’t own.

They say he told police two guitars actually were stolen but he lied about the models because of financial and marital hardship.