Former pastor’s sentencing for drug smuggling delayed

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — A former Southwest Washington pastor’s sentencing on a drug smuggling charge has been delayed over questions about how honest he’s been with federal authorities.

The Columbian newspaper reports that a federal judge in San Diego was due to sentence John Bishop, former pastor of Living Hope Church, Friday. Instead, the judge revoked his bail and rescheduled the sentencing for Monday.

Last winter Bishop was caught smuggling nearly 300 pounds of marijuana into the United States from Mexico in his car. He pleaded guilty in February in hopes of winning a lenient sentence as a first-time offender.

Prosecutors say he told investigators he smuggled pot across the border 15 times since April 2016, but his border crossing records showed he crossed 57 times last year alone. Authorities also cited text messages as evidence that he lied when he said his wife didn’t know about his actions and about how much money he made from the trips.

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Information from: The Columbian, http://www.columbian.com