The Pastor Accused of Defrauding the VA of Nearly $24 Million

In Iraq, other soldiers often asked Darnell Emanuel to speak to God on their behalf. He hadn’t expected this. Emanuel was an Army combat engineer, not a chaplain. He was responsible for the clearing of mines, not the ascension of souls. It was 2003, and Emanuel was 23 years old. Easygoing and gregarious, he was popular with both officers and grunts. Until recently he’d been an atheist. But he’d experienced an awakening. Back on base, in the US, he was always inviting people to church; some Sundays he’d show up at service trailing a caravan of trucks. At war, his ...