Noted Houston pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell released early from prison, megachurch says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Kirbyjon Caldwell, the Houston megachurch pastor who pleaded guilty to defrauding investors out of nearly $3.6 million, is out of a low-security federal prison some two years earlier than scheduled, his congregation told ABC13 on Friday.

The video above is from a 13 Investigates piece produced in 2018.

Caldwell reported to a Beaumont, Texas, facility in June 2021 to start his six-year sentence for wire fraud. About three years later, U.S. Bureau of Prisons records indicate he's still under its supervision via a halfway house.

In addition, a federal court ordered him to pay nearly $3.6 million in restitution, though it's unclear whether he paid it in full. He's also on the hook for a $125,000 fine.

Court documents alleged Caldwell, using his position at Houston's Windsor Village Church, and a financial advisor sold $3.5 million in worthless pre-revolutionary Chinese bonds to the elderly and other vulnerable investors.

SEE MORE: Houston megachurch pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell insists bonds he sold are legitimate

On Friday, Windsor Village said Caldwell, 70, who was also a spiritual advisor in George W. Bush and Barack Obama presidencies, is home in Houston, adding that they're celebrating his homecoming.